Definition of poise
poised
;poising
transitive verb
1a : balance; especially : to hold or carry in equilibrium carried a water jar poised on her headb : to hold supported or suspended without motion in a steady position poised her fork and gave her guest a knowing look — Louis Bromfield
2 : to hold or carry (the head) in a particular way
3 : to put into readiness : brace
intransitive verb
1 : to become drawn up into readiness
2 : hover
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Examples of poise in a Sentence
She poised her pencil above the paper and waited for the signal to begin writing.
the disgraced business executive poised herself for the difficult press conference
Origin and Etymology of poise
Middle English, to weigh, ponder, from Anglo-French peiser, poiser, from Latin pensare — more at pensive
poise
Definition of poise
1 : a stably balanced state : equilibrium a poise between widely divergent impulses — F. R. Leavis
2a : easy self-possessed assurance of manner : gracious tact in coping or handling; also : the pleasantly tranquil interaction between persons of poise no angry outbursts marred the poise of the meetingb : a particular way of carrying oneself : bearing, carriage
Origin and Etymology of poise
Middle English poyse weight, heaviness, from Anglo-French peis, pois, from Latin pensum, from neuter of pensus, past participle of pendere to weigh — more at pendant
Synonym Discussion of poise
Definition of poise
: a centimeter-gram-second unit of viscosity equal to the viscosity of a fluid that would require a shearing force of one dyne to impart to a one-square-centimeter area of an arbitrary layer of the fluid a velocity of one centimeter per second relative to another layer separated from the first by a distance of one centimeter
Origin and Etymology of poise
French, from Jean Louis Marie Poiseuille †1869 French physician and anatomist
POISE Defined for English Language Learners
poise
playDefinition of poise for English Language Learners
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: to hold (something) in a balanced and steady position
POISE Defined for Kids
Definition of poise for Students
poised
;poising
1 : to hold or make steady by balancing A book was poised on her head.
2 : to remain in position without moving … a serpent was poised ready to strike. — Lloyd Alexander, Time Cat
3 : to be or become ready for something
Definition of poise for Students
1 : the state of being balanced
2 : a natural self-confident manner He spoke with great poise.
Medical Dictionary
Medical Definition of poise
: a cgs unit of viscosity equal to the viscosity of a fluid that would require a shearing force of one dyne to impart to a one square-centimeter area of an arbitrary layer of the fluid a velocity of one centimeter per second relative to another layer separated from the first by a distance of one centimeter
Learn More about poise
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See words that rhyme with poise Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for poise Spanish Central: Translation of poise Nglish: Translation of poise for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of poise for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about poise
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