different between countenance vs defend

English

Alternative forms

• countenaunce (obsolete)

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.

Pronunciation

• (UK, US) IPA^(key): /?ka?n.t?.n?ns/, /?ka?n.t?n.?ns/, /?ka?nt.n?ns/
• (General Australian) IPA^(key): [k??æ??.???.n?ns]

Noun

countenance (countable and uncountable, plural countenances)

1. Appearance, especially the features and expression of the face.
   • , Genesis 4:5

     But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell.
2. Favour; support; encouragement.
   • September 8, 1706, Francis Atterbury, a sermon

     This is the magistrate's peculiar province, to give countenance to piety and virtue, and to rebuke vice.

3. (obsolete) Superficial appearance; show; pretense.
   • c. 1570, Roger Ascham, The Scholemaster

     The election being done, he made countenance of great discontent thereat.

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

Synonyms

• see also Thesaurus:countenance

Derived terms

Related terms

Translations

Verb

countenance (third-person singular simple present countenances, present participle countenancing, simple past and past participle countenanced)

1. (transitive) To tolerate, support, sanction, patronise or approve of something.

   The cruel punishment was countenanced by the government, although it was not officially legal.

   • 1937, Willa Muir and Edwin Muir (translators), The Trial, (Der Prozess 1925, Franz Kafka), Vintage Books (London), pg. 99

     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.

Synonyms

• (tolerate, support): approve, sanction, support, tolerate

Translations

References

• countenance in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.
• countenance in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.

Old French

Alternative forms

• contenance
• contennaunce
• continance

Etymology

From contenant, the present participle of contenir, with the suffix -ance, corresponding to Late Latin continentia. See also continence.

Noun

countenance f (oblique plural countenances, nominative singular countenance, nominative plural countenances)

1. (Anglo-Norman) appearance; countenance
   • e moustre par contenance q'il ad honte de ceo q'il ad fet

     And he showed by his appearance that he was ashamed of what he had done.

Related terms

• contenant
• contenir

Descendants

• English: countenance
• French: contenance

References

• contenance on the Anglo-Norman On-Line Hub

English

Etymology

From Middle English defenden, from Old French deffendre (Modern French défendre), from Latin d?fend? (“to ward off”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *g??en-.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /d??f?nd/
• (US) IPA^(key): /d??f?nd/, /di?f?nd/, /d??f?nd/
• Rhymes: -?nd

Verb

defend (third-person singular simple present defends, present participle defending, simple past and past participle defended)

1. (transitive) To ward off attacks against; to fight to protect; to guard.
2. (transitive) To support by words or writing; to vindicate, talk in favour of.
3. (transitive, law) To make legal defence of; to represent (the accused).
4. (sports) To focus one's energies and talents on preventing opponents from scoring, as opposed to focusing on scoring.
5. (sports) To attempt to retain a title, or attempt to reach the same stage in a competition as one did in the previous edition of that competition.
6. (poker slang) To call a raise from the big blind.
7. (transitive, obsolete) To ward off, repel (an attack or attacker).
   • 1590, Edmund Spenser, The Faerie Queene, II.viii:

     The vertue is, that neither steele, nor stone / The stroke thereof from entrance may defend […].

8. (transitive, obsolete) To prevent, to keep (from doing something).
9. (transitive, intransitive, obsolete) To prohibit, forbid.

Synonyms

• See also Thesaurus:defend

Antonyms

• attack

Related terms

• defender
• defense, defence
• defensive

Translations

Anagrams

• fended