▪ I. frounce, n.1
(fraʊns)
Also 5–7 frownce. Cf. the altered form flounce n.
[a. OFr. fronce, fronche (Fr. fronce), = Sardinian frunza.
According to some scholars a vbl. noun f. the Rom. *frontire (OF., Pr., OSp. froncir, Sp. fruncir, Cat. frunsir, Sard. frunziri), to wrinkle the brow, to wrinkle, f. L. front-em brow, front. Others consider the Rom. n. to be adopted from OHG. (*wrunza), runza, modG. runze wrinkle.]
† 1. A wrinkle. Obs.
| 1390 Gower Conf. III. 27 He seeth her front is large and pleine, Withoute frounce of any greine. 1430–40 Lydg. Bochas i. xx. (1494) e vij b, Their reueled skyn abrode to drawe and streyne Frowarde frouncis to make theym smoth & pleyne. 1527 Andrew Brunswyke's Distyll. Waters C iv, The same water taketh awaye the frounces in the face whan it is rubbed therwith. 1616 Bullokar, Frownce, a wrinkle. 1721 Bailey, Frounce, a Plait, a Wrinkle. Hence in mod. Dicts. |
† 2. A fold, crease; a pleat. Also fig., duplicity.
| c 1374 Chaucer Boeth. i. pr. ii. 5 (Camb. MS.) With the lappe of hir garnement I-plited in a frounce she dryede myn eyen. 1377 Langl. P. Pl. B. xiii. 318 ‘Bi Criste’, quod Conscience tho, ‘thi best cote..hath many moles and spottes’..‘Ȝe, who so toke hede’.. Men sholde fynde many frounces and many foule plottes. 1390 Gower Conf. I. 173 So that he pronounce A plein good word withouten frounce. 1721 [see 1]. |
† 3. The ornamented edge of a cup. Obs.
| c 1440 Promp. Parv. 180/2 Frownce of a cuppe, frontinella (Pynson frigium). |
† 4. = flounce n.2 1. Obs.—1
| 1619 Fletcher M. Thomas iii. ii, Farthingals, and frounces. |
5. With allusion to Milton's use of frounce v.: A piece of foppish display.
| 1881 A. J. Duffield Don Quix. II. 397 With these [dresses] he made so many frounces and tricks. 1887 Saintsbury Ess. Eng. Lit. (1891) 153 A rather plain and straightforward writer, with few tricks and frounces of phrase and style. |
Hence † ˈfrounceless a., without a frounce or wrinkle, unwrinkled.
| ? a 1366 Chaucer Rom. Rose 860 Hir forheed frounceles. |
▪ II. † frounce, n.2 Obs.
Forms: 5 frounch, 5 fronse, 6 fronce, frounze, 6–8 frownce, 5– frounce.
[Of obscure origin; no similar word of like meaning is known in Fr.
Perhaps it may be etymologically identical with prec., or due to some mistake; cf. froncle and formica 2.]
1. A canker or sore in the mouth of a hawk.
| a 1450 Fysshynge w. Angle (1883) 3 With mysfedyng þen schall sche haue the frounce. c 1450 Bk. Hawkyng in Rel. Ant. I. 301 Of the f[r]ounches it is drede for it is a noyous sekenes. 1486 Bk. St. Albans C vj b, Blaynis in haukes mouthes cald frounches. 1587 Turberv. Trag. Tales 183 The frounce consume the flesh of her, that feedes vpon my bones. 1674 N. Cox Gentl. Recreat. ii. (1677) 249 The Frownce proceedeth from moist and cold Humours which descend from the Hawk's Head to the Palate. 1725 Bradley Fam. Dict. s.v. Rye, It..causes the Frownce, or a perpetual dropping Humour, very hard to be cur'd. 1820 Scott Abbot iv, 'Twere the ready way to give her the frounce. |
2. A disease in the mouth of a horse: see quot. 1587. Cf. camery.
| 1587 L. Mascall Govt. Cattle, Horses (1627) 131 The frounce is a disease soone cured, and they are smal pimples or warts in the midst of the pallat of his mouth aboue, and they are soft, and they will let him to eat his meat. 1610 [see camery]. 1725 Bradley Fam. Dict., Camery or Frounce, a Distemper in Horses. In mod. Dicts. |
▪ III. frounce, v.
(fraʊns)
Forms: 3–4 fronce, 4–6 frounse, 6–7 frounze, frownce, -se, 4– frounce.
[ad. OF. froncier, froncir (Fr. froncer), f. fronce frounce n.1]
† 1. trans. To gather in folds or wrinkles, to wrinkle; to knit, purse (the brows or lips); occas. to knit the brows of. Also with up. Obs.
The first quot. perhaps belongs to 1 b.
| a 1300 Cursor M. 3571 Þe front it fronces þat was scene. 13.. Gaw. & Gr. Knt. 2306 Þenne tas he hym stryþe to stryke, & frounses boþe lyppe & browe. 1390 Gower Conf. I. 95 With that she frounceth up the browe. c 1572 Gascoigne Fruites Warre (1831) 209 The frolicke fauour frounst and foule defast. 1587 Hughes Misfort. Arthur iv. ii. in Hazl. Dodsley IV. 321 All fury-like, frounc'd up with frantic frets. 1628 Sir R. Le Grys tr. Barclay's Argenis 143 That he may not seeme mercenary, hee will frounce his browes. |
† b. intr. To knit the brows; to look angry. Also of the face or forehead: To fall into wrinkles, become wrinkled. Obs.
| c 1450 Henryson Test. Cress. 155 in Thynne Chaucer Qq iiij, His face frounsed..His teth chattred. c 1530 Ld. Berners Arth. Lyt. Bryt. (1814) 489 [He] frounsed and glared with his eyen as though he had ben wode. 1583 Stanyhurst æneis ii. (Arb.) 63 Grislye faces frouncing, dyd I see. 1600 Holland Livy vii. vi. 253 They frounced and tooke on most insolently for this unhappie expedition. |
2. trans. To frizz, curl (the hair, a wig, etc.); also, to curl the hair of.
| 1526 Skelton Magnyf. 1532 Schall frounce them in the foretop. 1559 J. Aylmer Harborowe N j b, Ladies..with their heares frownsed and curled. a 1592 Greene Mamillia ii. Wks. (Rtldg.) 316/1 A periwig frounc'd faste to the front. 1632 Milton Penseroso 123 Not trick'd and frounc'd as she was wont. 1819 H. Busk Vestriad ii. 102 Some..scatter'd o'er the silver margin stood, To frounce their braids. |
b. fig. [Echoing Milton: see quot. 1632 in 2.]
| 1891 Saintsbury Scherer's Ess. Pref. 9 Not only unnecessary, but in bad taste, to trick or frounce him in English. |
† 3. To gather (a piece of cloth, a garment, etc.) into creases or pleats; to pleat. Obs.
| a 1533 Ld. Berners Gold. Bk. M. Aurel. (1546) Cc vj, Their shurts frounced. 1559 Mirr. Mag., Mowbray's Banishm. xxv, All iagde and frounst with diuers coloures dekt. 1610 J. Guillim Heraldry vi. v. (1611) 266 A piece of cloth..that is iagged and frownced after the manner of our now commonly recieued Mantlings. 1805 Scott Last Minstr. iv. xviii, Buff coats, all frounced and broidered o'er. |
† b. intr. To fall into creases or pleats. Obs.
| c 1400 Rom. Rose 7259 Shoos knopped with dagges That frouncen lyke a quaile pipe. 1548 Hall Chron., Hen. VIII (1809) 691 It bossed out and frounced very stately to behold. |
Hence frounced ppl. a., † (a) of the forehead: Wrinkled; (b) of the hair, the head, etc.: Curled, frizzed; ˈfrouncing vbl. n., † (a) knitting of brows; (b) frizzing; also attrib.
| 1422 tr. Secreta Secret., Priv. Priv. (E.E.T.S.) 221 A sharpe straght farred, noght gretly lene ne al full, nethyr al frouncet. c 1450 Henryson Fables, Paddok & Mous 43 Her fronsit face. a 1529 Skelton P. Sparowe 1337 The ferryman of hell, Caron..with his frownsid foretop. 1530 Palsgr. 223/2 Frounsyng, froncement. a 1568 R. Ascham Scholem. (Arb.) 54 An ouerstaring frounced hed, as though out of euerie heeres toppe, should suddenlie start out a good big othe. 1593 Nashe Christ's T. (1613) 148 Thy flaring frounzed Periwigs. 1600 Holland Livy xxxiii. xxxix. (1609) 846 There was frounsing, and their bloud was up. 1603 H. Crosse Vertues Commw. (1878) 76 Fye vpon these frownsing Irons. 1656 W. D. tr. Comenius' Gate Lat. Unl. §203 The Temples..in those that are angry frownced or furrowed. 1835 in Gentl. Mag. Feb. (1836) 135 And her hair was all frizzled and frounc'd like a nigger. |