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- demeanour (British spelling)
From Middle English demenen, demeinen, from Anglo-Norman demener, from Old French demener, from de- + mener (“to conduct, lead”) + -or, from Latin *mināre (“to drive”) and Latin minārī (“to threaten”).
- The social, non-verbal behaviours (such as body language and facial expressions) that are characteristic of a person.
- The man's demeanor made others suspicious of his intentions.
- A confident demeanor is crucial for persuading others.
- a. 1587, Raphael Holinshed, quoting Strabo, Historie of England, Book III:
- At this present (saith he) certeine princes of Britaine, procuring by ambassadors and dutifull demeanors the amitie of the emperour Augustus, haue offered in the capitoll vnto the gods presents or gifts, and haue ordeined the whole Ile in a manner to be appertinent, proper, and familiar to the Romans.
The outward way in which a person behaves
- demeanor in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913
- demeanor in The Century Dictionary, The Century Co., New York, 1911