Forms: 4–5 complexioun, 5–6 -ione, -yon, 4–6 compleccioun, -ion(e, -yon, complexcion, -ioun, -yon, 6 complextion, 4–9 -plection, 4– complexion. [a. F. complexion (13th c. in Littré), ad. L. complexiōn-em ‘combination, connexion, association,’ later ‘physical constitution or conformation,’ f. complex- ppl. stem of complectĕre taken analytically from com- together + plectĕre to plait, twine.]
I. From Romanic and med. Latin.
† 1. In the physiology and natural philosophy of the Middle Ages: The combination of supposed qualities (cold or hot, and moist or dry) in a certain proportion, determining the nature of a body, plant, etc.; the combination of the four humours of the body in a certain proportion, or the bodily habit attributed to such combination; ‘temperament.’ Obs. exc. Hist.
c. 1386. Chaucer, Prol., 333. Of his complexioun he was sangwyn.
1393. Gower, Conf., III. 116. Whose [Saturn’s] complexion is colde.
c. 1400. Lanfranc’s Cirurg. (MS. B.), 10. Þe qualities … ben foure: hot, colde, moyst and drye, and complexiouns ben by ham, yt ys necessarie to fynden in bodies þat ben medlyde, foure complexiouns; complexioun ys noþynge ellys but a manere qualitie medlyde in worchynge.
1533. Elyot, Cast. Helthe (1541), Q a. Complexion is a combynation of two dyvers qualities of the foure elementes in one bodye, as hotte and drye of the Fyre: hotte and moyste of the Ayre.
1548–77. Vicary, Anat. (1888), 18. The Grystle … is of complexion colde and drye. Ibid., 22. The flesh … is in complexion hote and moyst.
1578. Lyte, Dodoens, III. lvi. 397. It engendreth fevers in suche as be of a hoate complexion. Ibid., V. lxviii. 633. Arsesmart is colde and dry of complexion.
1683. Tryon, Way to Health, 3. A Mans Complexion, of which there are commonly reckon’d four kinds, viz. the Cholerick, the Phlegmatick, the Sanguine and the Melancholy.
1712. Henley, Spect., No. 396, ¶ 2. These Portraitures … give that melancholy Tincture to the most sanguine Complexion, which this Gentleman calls an Inclination to be in a Brown-study.
1829. Southey, Sir T. More (1831), I. 254. As long as practitioners proceeded upon the gratuitous theory of elementary Complections.
† b. Also used as equivalent to ‘humour,’ or to ‘collection of humours.’ Obs.
c. 1374. Chaucer, Troylus, V. 369. Leches seyne that of complecciouns Proceden they [dreams], or fast, or glotonie.
1398. Trevisa, Barth. De P. R., V. lvii. (1495), 174. The bones ben greuyd by gadrynge of grete complexion and humours in the joyntes of bones.
1547. Boorde, Brev. Health, ccxxix. (1598), 78 b. Melancholy other wise named blacke coler … is one of the four Complections or Humours, and is cold and dry.
1689. Evelyn, Mem. (1857), III. 314. This variety of dreams which he, as well as Hippocrates, and others … attribute to the crasis and constitution of the body and complexions domineering.
† 2. Bodily habit or constitution (orig. supposed to be constituted by the ‘humours’). Obs.
1340. Ayenb., 31. Þou art to fiebble of compleccioun, þou ne miȝt naȝt do þe greate penonces.
1483. Caxton, Cato, B vj b. Thou oughtest to slepe … whan … that nature requyreth hit and thy complexyon. Ibid. (1490), Eneydos, 85. [She] prepared to hym [the dragon] his mete, alle after his complexion.
1525. Ld. Berners, Froiss., II. cvii. [ciii.] 310. The Countrey was not mete for their complexions.
1545. Raynold, Byrth Mankynde, 49. If the partie be weke and of feble complexion.
1602. Shaks., Ham., V. ii. 102. Mee thinkes it is very soultry, and hot for my Complexion.
1686. F. Spence, trans. Varillas’ Ho. Medici, 292. He was of so strong and sound a complexion.
1761. Hume, Hist. Eng., II. xx. 5. The duke of Brabant was of a sickly complexion and weak mind.
† b. Physical constitution or nature (of members of the body). Obs.
1398. Trevisa, Barth. De P. R. (1495), III. xx. The tongue, towchinge the complexion of the substaunce therof is holowe and moyste.
c. 1400. Lanfranc’s Cirurg. (MS. A.), 21. Þe maris [matrix] of womman haþ an able complexcioun to conseiven. Ibid., 22. Þese smale lymes han dyvers foormes, complexciouns & helpingis aftir þe dyversitees of þe proporciouns of þe mater, which þat þei ben maad of.
1604. E. G., D’Acosta’s Hist. Indies, III. ix. 146. (Of Sea-sickness). We see some are taken there with passing rivers in Barkes: others … going in Coches and Carosses, according to the divers complexions of the stomacke.
† 3. Constitution or habit of mind, disposition, temperament; ‘nature.’ Obs. (exc. as fig. of 4).
c. 1386. Chaucer, Parson’s T., ¶ 511. Or ellis his complexioun is so corrageous that he may not forbere.
c. 1485. Digby Myst. (1882), v. Mor. Wisd., 343. I know all compleccions of man, wher-to he is most disposed.
1535. Joye, Apol. Tindale, 20. Here mayst thou se of what nature and complexion Tindale is.
1596. Shaks., Merch. V., III. i. 32. Shylocke knew the bird was fledg’d, and then it is the complexion of them al to leaue the dam. Ibid. (1599), Much Ado, II. i. 305. Something of a iealous complexion.
1702. Eng. Theophrast., 120. Men that are cowards by complexion are hardly to be made valiant by discourse.
1742. Hume, Ess., Sceptic (1817), I. 176. A very amorous complexion.
1791. Burke, App. Whigs, 15. Our complexion is such, that we are palled with enjoyment, and stimulated with hope; that we become less sensible to a long-possessed benefit, from the very circumstance that it become habitual.
1856. Emerson, Eng. Traits, Lit., Wks. (Bohn), II. 115. The two complexions, or two styles of mind—the perceptive class, and the practical finality class.
4. The natural color, texture, and appearance of the skin, esp. of the face; orig. as showing the ‘temperament’ or bodily constitution. (Now, without any such notion, the ordinary sense.)
[1568. Grafton, Chron., II. 575. The Lady Margaret … was of such nasty complexion and evill savored breath.]
1580. Lyly, Euphues (Arb.), 405. Rhodope beeing beautifull (if a good complection and fayre fauour be tearmed beautie).
1596. Shaks., Merch. V., II. i. 1. Mislike me not for my complexion, The shadowed liuerie of the burnisht sunne.
a. 1639. Wotton, Educ., in Reliq. Wotton (1672), 78. The child’s colour or complexion (as we vulgarily term it).
1699. Dampier, Voy., II. I. viii. 161. People of more different Complexions … from the cole black to a light tawney.
1753. Hogarth, Anal. Beauty, xii. 96. A beautiful complexion.
1856. Emerson, Eng. Traits, Race, Wks. (Bohn), II. 30. The English face … with the fair complexion, blue eyes, and open … florid aspect.
fig. 1597. Shaks., 2 Hen. IV., II. ii. 6. It discolours the complexion of my Greatnesse to acknowledge it.
† b. Rarely, the color of hair or beard. Obs.
1823. Southey, in Q. Rev., XXVII. 3. Having a red beard, a complexion very unusual in Portugal.
† c. Countenance, face. Obs. rare–1.
1604. Shaks., Oth., IV. ii. 62. Turne thy complexion there.
5. transf. Of other things: Color, visible aspect, look, appearance.
1593. Shaks., Rich. II., III. ii. 194. Men iudge by the complexion of the Skie The state and inclination of the day.
1646. Sir T. Browne, Pseud. Ep., II. vi. 97. Clove … dryed in the Sun, becommeth blacke, and in the Complexion we receive it.
1691. Ray, Creation, I. (1704), 113. [Metals] reduced again into their natural Form and Complexion.
1856. Stanley, Sinai & Pal., i. (1858), 90. The wear and tear of weather, which has effaced … the features and tanned the complexion of all the other temples.
† 6. A coloring preparation applied (by women) to ‘give a complexion’ to the face. Obs.
1601. Holland, Pliny, Explan. Wds. Art, They are called at this day complexions, whereas they be cleane contrarie; for the complexion is naturall, and these altogether artificiall.
1608. Bp. Hall, Char. Virtues & V., II. 117. He hath salves for every sore … complexion for every face.
1616. Bullokar, Complexion, sometime … painting used by women.
7. fig. (from senses 1–3). Quality, character, condition; in mod. use often with some notion of ‘tinge, color, aspect’ from senses 4–5.
1589. Puttenham, Eng. Poesie, III. v. (Arb.), 161. Vnder these three principall complexions (if I may with leaue so terme them) high, meane and base stile, there be contained many other humors or qualities of stile.
a. 1626. Bacon, Max. & Uses Com. Law, Pref. 2. The amendment … of the very nature and complection of the whole law.
a. 1661. Fuller, Worthies (1840), II. 417. The complexion of the times being altered.
1754. Chatham, Lett. Nephew, iii. 10. Upon [your education] the complexion of all the rest of your days will infallibly depend.
1843. Prescott, Mexico, II. vi. (1864), 103. These acts … were counterbalanced by others of an opposite complexion.
b. (fig. from 4 or 5.) Appearance, aspect.
1818. Jas. Mill, Brit. India, II. V. viii. 684. Skill … in putting off the evil day: and in giving a fair complexion to the present one.
II. From old Latin senses.
† 8. Embrace. [L. complexus.] Obs. rare.
1493. Festivall (1515), 88 b. For flesshely complexcyon of a man and woman … Our lady … conceyued not with complexcyon of man.
† 9. Complication, combination. Obs.
1628. T. Spencer, Logick, 11. [In] the second Chapter of Aristotles Categories … wee haue these words: Those things, which are contained in Logick, bee (1) without complexion [ἄνευ συμπλοκῆς], (2) with complexion [κατὰ συμπλοκῆν].
a. 1655. Vines, Lord’s Supp. (1677), 80. We take the Sacrament, and the thing of the Sacrament in complexion.
1669. Gale, Crt. Gentiles, I. I. xi. 69. The Syriac … sprang up … from the complexion or combination of the Hebrew and Chaldee.
1725. Watts, Logic (1736), 165. Beside this Complexion which belongs to the Subject or Predicate.
† 10. quasi-concr. A coupling, a combination.
16[?]. B. Jonson, Eng. Gram., I. v. (1692), 678. Diphthongs are the complexions, or couplings of vowels.
1678. Cudworth, Intell. Syst., I. i. § 27. 28. The various complexions and conjugations of those simple elements.
1832. Austin, Jurispr. (1879), II. xli. 727. Most rights and duties … are complexions or aggregates of elementary rights and duties.
† 11. = COMPLEX sb. 1. Obs. rare.
1678. Cudworth, Intell. Syst., Pref. 4. Whatsoever is contained within the complexion of the universe.
1741. Watts, Improv. Mind, xii. § 6 (1801), 96. That … the whole complexion of the debate may not be thrown into confusion.
III. Comb.
1619. W. Sclater, Expos. 1 Thess. (1630), 136. Complexion-makers wee haue … for withered faces.
