scowl

From Middle English scowlen, scoulen, skoulen (also as Middle English schoulen), probably of North Germanic origin. Compare Danish skule (“to scowl”), Norwegian skule (“to scowl”).

• enPR: skoul, IPA^(key): /skaʊl/

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• Rhymes: -aʊl

scowl (plural scowls)

1. The wrinkling of the brows or face in frowning; the expression of displeasure, sullenness, or discontent in the countenance; an angry frown.

   She made a scowl.

2. (by extension) Gloom; dark or threatening aspect.
   • 1848 November – 1850 December, William Makepeace Thackeray, chapter 46, in The History of Pendennis. , volume (please specify |volume=I or II), London: Bradbury and Evans, , published 1849–1850, →OCLC:

     Mr. Pynsent, who had asked Miss Amory to dance, came up on one occasion to claim her hand, but scowls of recognition having already passed between him and Mr. Arthur Pendennis in the dancing-room, Arthur suddenly rose up and claimed Miss Amory as his partner for the present dance […]

• scowlful
• scowly

scowl (third-person singular simple present scowls, present participle scowling, simple past and past participle scowled)

1. (intransitive) To wrinkle the brows, as in frowning or displeasure; to put on a frowning look; to look sour, sullen, severe, or angry.
   • 1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book II, Canto II”, in The Faerie Queene. , London: [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC, stanza 35:

     She scould, and frownd with froward countenaunce

2. (intransitive, by extension) To look gloomy, dark, or threatening; to lower.
   • a. 1749 (date written), James Thomson, “Summer”, in The Seasons, London: A Millar, and sold by Thomas Cadell, , published 1768, →OCLC:

     The scowling heavens.

3. (transitive) To look at or repel with a scowl or a frown.

   to scowl a rival into submission

4. (transitive) To express by a scowl.

   to scowl defiance

scowl (uncountable)

1. (UK, dialect, obsolete) Old workings of iron ore.

• Clows, cowls