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countenance

noun
/ˈkaʊn.tə.nəns/UK/kæũ̯n.tɪ̆.nəns/

Etymology

From Middle English contenaunce, countenaunce, from Anglo-Norman countenance and Old French contenance, from the present participle of contenir, or from Late Latin continentia, and therefore a doublet of continence.

  1. derived from continentia
  2. derived from contenance
  3. derived from countenance
  4. inherited from contenaunce

Definitions

  1. Appearance, especially the features and expression of the face.

    • How Cownterfet Cowntenaunce of the new get / With Crafty Conueyauance dothe smater and flater, / And Cloked Collucyoun is brought in to clater / With Courtely Abusyoun; […]
    • But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell.
    • It was as if the countenance were for a brief while allowed to wear the likeness of the peaceful and spiritual world whither the soul had departed.

  2. Favour

    Favour; support; encouragement.

    • Thou hast made him[…]glad with thy countenance.
    • This is the Magiſtrate's peculiar Province, to give Countenance to Piety and Virtue, and to rebuke Vice and Prophaneneſs; […]
    • However, the poor old lady is in great distress; she and her grandaughter are coming up to London, and I wish to give them all possible countenance and assistance.

  3. Superficial appearance

    Superficial appearance; show; pretense.

    • The election being done, he made countenance of great discontent thereat.
  4. ›+ 2 more definitions

    1. Calm facial expression, composure, self-control.

    2. To tolerate, support, sanction, patronise or approve of something.

      • The cruel punishment was countenanced by the government, although it was not officially legal.
      • I won't countenance other than compunctious semblances for such a grievous blunder.
      • For the Defence was not actually countenanced by the Law, but only tolerated, and there were differences of opinion even on that point, whether the Law could be interpreted to admit such tolerances at all.

The neighborhood

Derived

countenancer, divine countenance, in countenance, keep one's countenance, out of countenance, uncountenanceable

Vish — recursive loop

A definitional loop anchored at countenance. Each word in the ring is defined by the next; follow the chain far enough and it folds back on itself. Scroll to it and watch.

01countenance02face03facial04validity05valid06acceptable07passable08tolerable09countenanced

A definitional loop anchored at countenance. Each word in the ring appears in the definition of the next; follow the chain far enough and it folds back on itself.

9 hops · closes at countenance

curated · pre-corpus. live cycle detection across the full graph is the next major milestone.

sense glosses and etymology drawn from English Wiktionary · source · CC-BY-SA