lineament
noun·/ˈlɪn.i.ə.mənt/
1. A distinctive feature of the face or body, especially as defined by lines and contours; a characteristic stroke in the visible architecture of a person (often plural, formal).
In the old photograph, her lineaments were already there—the sharp brow, the steady mouth—like a signature the years would not revise.
2. A defining characteristic or outline of something more abstract. The lineaments of a plan, an era, a temperament (formal).
The novel’s lineaments emerged slowly: a quiet grief, a stubborn hope, a city always on the verge of rain.
Etymology
From Latin lineamentum “a line; an outline,” from linea “line.” Form as something drawn, identity as something that can be traced.
Related Words
contouroutline; more strictly visual
physiognomythe face as a field of meaning; older and fraught
featurethe common term; less sculptural
silhouetteoutline against light; a cousin in profile