Supercilious, a. — Webster enters it under “supercilious”
Etymology: [L. superciliosus, fr. supercilium an eyebrow, pride; super over, + cilium an eyelid; probably akin to celare to conceal. Cf. Conceal.]
Lofty with pride; haughty; dictatorial; overbearing; arrogant; as, a supercilious officer; asupercilious air; supercilious behavior. -- Su`per*cil"i*ous*ly, adv. -- Su`per*cil"i*ous*ness, n.
Shades of meaning
Fernald has no entry of its own for superciliousness; he lists it under pride.
Where he writes about it:
In the presence of superiors overweening pride manifests itself in presumption or insolence; in the presence of inferiors, or those supposed to be inferior, pride manifests itself by arrogance, disdain, haughtiness, superciliousness, or in either case often by cold reserve. (See RESERVE under modesty.) Pride is too self-satisfied to care for praise; vanity intensely craves admiration and applause. — from pride
Superciliousness, as if by the uplifted eyebrow, as its etymology suggests (L. supercilium, eyebrow, from super, over and cilium, eyelid), silently manifests mingled haughtiness and disdain. — from pride