different between lineament vs countenance

English

Etymology

From Middle French linéament, from Latin lineamentum, from linea (line).

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /?l?.n??.m?nt/

Noun

lineament (plural lineaments)

1. Any distinctive shape or line, etc.
3. A distinctive feature that characterizes something, especially the parts of the face of an individual.
   • 1609, Thomas Dekker, The Guls Horn-Booke, London: J.M. Dent, 1905, p. 23, [2]

     […] onely remember, that so soone as thy eyelids be unglewd, thy first exercise must be (either sitting upright on thy pillow, or rarely loling at thy bodies whole length) to yawne, to stretch, and to gape wider then any oyster-wife : for thereby thou doest not onely send out the lively spirits (like vaunt-curers) to fortifie and make good the uttermost borders of the body ; but also (as a cunning painter) thy goodly lineaments are drawne out in their fairest proportion.

   • 1791, William Blake, The French Revolution, Book I, 31-32, [3]

     […] a mask of iron on his face hid the lineaments

     Of ancient Kings, and the frown of the eternal lion was hid from the oppressed earth.

   • 1923, James Stephens, Deirdre, London: Macmillan, Chapter VIII, p. 55, [4]

     But she could not wipe out the king's majesty with that sponge nor alter one lineament of the portrait she had taken ten years to limn.

   • 1927, John Crowe Ransom, Dead Boy:

     A pig with a pasty face, so I had said,

     Squealing for cookies, kinned by poor pretense

     With a noble house. But the little man quite dead,

     I see the forbears' antique lineaments.

(Can we add an example for this sense?)

Translations

References

• lineament in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.

Anagrams

• alinement

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