Meaning

noun the appearance conveyed by a person's face

noun formal and explicit approval

noun the human face (`kisser' and `smiler' and `mug' are informal terms for `face' and `phiz' is British)

originFrom 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.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 3.0