countenance
noun/ˈkaʊntənəns/
/ˈkaʊntənəns/
(formal or literary)- a person’s face or their expression
- her calmly smiling countenance
Word OriginMiddle English: from Old French contenance ‘bearing, behaviour’, from contenir, from Latin continere, from con- ‘altogether’ + tenere ‘to hold’. The early sense was ‘bearing, demeanour’, also ‘facial expression’, hence ‘the face’.Want to learn more?
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countenance