Definition of "posture"

As if that whatsoever god who leads him Were slily crept into his human powers, And gave him graceful posture.

c. 1608–1609 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedy of Coriolanus”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, (please specify the act number in uppercase Roman numerals, and the scene number in lowercase Roman numerals)

[…] walking in a most dejected posture, without a band, unbraced, his arms a-cross his open breast, and his eyes bent to the floor;

a. 1689, Aphra Behn, Love-Letters Between a Nobleman and His Sister

Rise, sir, from this semi-recumbent posture. It is most indecorous.

1895, Oscar Wilde, The Importance of Being Earnest […] , [Act I]

Even as I was reading these fables of my millions, there lay on the desk before me a statement of the exact posture of my affairs […]

1905, David Graham Phillips, The Deluge

Uncle Jim stopped amazed. His brain did not instantly rise to the new posture of things.

1910, H.G. Wells, The History of Mr Polly

...that is, their Forts, Garrisons, and Guns upon the Frontiers of their Kingdomes; and continuall Spyes upon their neighbours; which is a posture of War.

1651, Thomas Hobbes, Leviathan

But it is not true, no sane person can call it true, that man as a whole in his general attitude towards the world, in his posture towards death or green fields, towards the weather or the baby, will be wise to cultivate dissatisfaction.

1912, G.K. Chesterton, A Miscellany of Men

The Moon beheld in any posture, in respect of the Sun and us, sheweth us its superficies ... always equally clear.

1661, Thomas Salusbury (translator), Galileo's Dialogue Concerning the Two Chief Systems of the World

As for the guides, they were debarred from the pleasure of discourse, the one being placed in the van, and the other obliged to bring up the rear. In this posture they travelled many hours, till they came into a wide and well-beaten road […]

1749, Henry Fielding, The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling, volumes (please specify |volume=I to VI), London: A[ndrew] Millar, […]

As pointed Diamonds being set, Cast greater lustre out of Jet, Those peeces we esteem most rare, Which in night shadows postur'd are.

1655, James Howell, Epistolæ Ho-Elianæ. Familiar Letters Domestic and Forren. […], 3rd edition, volume (please specify the page), London: […] Humphrey Mos[e]ley, […]