Definition of "poise"

poise

/pɔɪz/

noun
countable and uncountable, plural poises
1. A state of balance, equilibrium or stability.
  Quotations
  plants and animals, which are all made up of and nourished by water, and perhaps never return to water again, do not keep things at a poise
  1692, Richard Bentley, [A Confutation of Atheism] (please specify the sermon), London: [Thomas Parkhurst; Henry Mortlock], published 1692–1693
2. Composure; freedom from embarrassment or affectation.
3. Mien; bearing or deportment of the head or body.
4. A condition of hovering, or being suspended.
5. (physics) A CGS unit of dynamic viscosity equal to one dyne-second per square centimetre.
  Quotations
  Letterpress and offset gloss varnishes normally have viscosities varying from 50 to 250 poises; they must stain the paper as little as possible, have insufficient tack to cause plucking, […]
  1959, E. A. Apps, Printing Ink Technology, page 415
6. (obsolete) Weight; an amount of weight, the amount something weighs.
  Quotations
  as an huge rockie clift, / Whose false foundation waues haue washt away, / With dreadfull poyse is from the mayneland rift, / […] So downe he fell […]
  1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book I, Canto XII”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie
7. The weight, or mass of metal, used in weighing, to balance the substance weighed.
8. That which causes a balance; a counterweight.
  Quotations
  As for Hyperboles, I will neither quote Lucan, nor Statius, Men of an unbounded imagination, but who often wanted the Poyze of Judgement.
  1674 (date written), John Dryden, “The Authors Apology for Heroique Poetry; and Poetique Licence”, in The State of Innocence, and Fall of Man: An Opera. […], London: […] T[homas] N[ewcomb] for Henry Herringman, […], published 1677, page 25
verb
third-person singular simple present poises, present participle poising, simple past and past participle poised
1. (obsolete) To hang in equilibrium; to be balanced or suspended; hence, to be in suspense or doubt.
  Quotations
  The slender, graceful spars / Poise aloft in the air.
  1850, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, The Seaside and the Fireside
2. (obsolete) To counterpoise; to counterbalance.
  Quotations
  one scale of reason to poise another of sensuality
  c. 1603–1604 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Othello, the Moore of Venice”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, [Act I, scene iii]
  to poise with solid sense a sprightly wit
  1699, John Dryden, Epistle to John Dryden
3. (obsolete) To be of a given weight; to weigh.
4. (obsolete) To add weight to, to weigh down.
  Quotations
  Every man poiseth [translating poise] upon his fellowes sinne, and elevates his owne.
  1603, Michel de Montaigne, chapter 2, in John Florio, transl., The Essayes […], book II, London: […] Val[entine] Simmes for Edward Blount […]
5. (now rare) To hold (something) with or against something else in equilibrium; to balance, counterpose.
  Quotations
  you saw her faire none els being by, / Her selfe poysd with her selfe in either eye.
  c. 1591–1595 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Romeo and Ivliet”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, [Act I, scene ii]
6. To hold (something) in equilibrium, to hold balanced and ready; to carry (something) ready to be used.
  Quotations
  Nor yet was earth suspended in the sky; / Nor poised, did on her own foundation lie.
  1717, John Dryden, “Book I”, in Ovid’s Metamorphoses in Fifteen Books. […], London: […] Jacob Tonson, […]
  The intention to close [Yeovil] Pen Mill was therefore abandoned and instead the economy axe was re-poised over Yeovil Junction.
  1964 November, J. H. Lucking, “The Salisbury-Exeter rationalisation—first results and local reaction”, in Modern Railways, page 331
7. To keep (something) in equilibrium; to hold suspended or balanced.
8. To ascertain, as if by balancing; to weigh.
  Quotations
  He cannot sincerely consider the strength, poise the weight, and discern the evidence.
  1692–1717, Robert South, Twelve Sermons Preached upon Several Occasions, 6th edition, volumes (please specify |volume=I to VI), London: […] J[ames] Bettenham, for Jonah Bowyer, […], published 1727

Definition of "poise"

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