poise

poise ¹

 (poiz)

v. poised, pois·ing, pois·es

v.tr.

1. To carry or hold in equilibrium; balance: I poised the pencil on the edge of the table.

2. To cause to be ready or about to do something: She is poised to win the nomination.

v.intr.

To be balanced or held in suspension: She poised at the end of the diving board.

n.

1. Confident composure; self-possession: answered the reporters' questions with poise.

2. Bearing of the body, especially when graceful: a ballerina's poise.

---

[Middle English poisen, to balance, weigh, from Old French peser, pois-, from Vulgar Latin *pēsāre, from Latin pēnsāre; see (s)pen- in Indo-European roots.]

---

poise ²

 (poiz, pwäz)

n.

A centimeter-gram-second unit of dynamic viscosity equal to one dyne-second per square centimeter.

---

[French, after Jean Louis Marie Poiseuille (1799-1869), French physician and physiologist.]

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

poise

(pɔɪz)

n

1. composure or dignity of manner

2. physical balance or assurance in movement or bearing

3. the state of being balanced or stable; equilibrium; stability

4. the position of hovering

5. suspense or indecision

vb

6. to be or cause to be balanced or suspended

7. (tr) to hold, as in readiness: to poise a lance.

8. (tr) a rare word for weigh¹

[C16: from Old French pois weight, from Latin pēnsum, from pendere to weigh]

---

poise

(pwɑːz; pɔɪz)

n

(Units) the cgs unit of viscosity; the viscosity of a fluid in which a tangential force of 1 dyne per square centimetre maintains a difference in velocity of 1 centimetre per second between two parallel planes 1 centimetre apart. It is equivalent to 0.1 newton second per square metre. Symbol: P

[C20: named after Jean Louis Marie Poiseuille (1799–1869), French physician]

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

poise¹

(pɔɪz)

n., v. poised, pois•ing. n.

1. a state of balance or equilibrium, as from equality or equal distribution of weight.

2. a dignified, self-confident manner or bearing; composure; self-possession: showed great poise in company.

3. steadiness; stability: intellectual poise.

4. the way of being poised, held, or carried.

5. the state or position of hovering.

v.t.

6. to adjust, hold, or carry in equilibrium; balance evenly.

7. to hold supported or raised, as in position for casting, using, etc.

v.i.

8. to rest in equilibrium; be balanced.

9. to hover, as a bird in the air.

[1350–1400; (n.) Middle English pois(e) weight < Old French < Late Latin pēnsum, n. use of neuter past participle of Latin pendere to weigh; (v.) Middle English: to weigh < Old French poiser, variant of peser < Latin pēnsāre, frequentative of pendere]

poise²

(pwɑz)

n.

a centimeter-gram-second unit of viscosity, equal to 1 dyne-sec/cm². Symbol: P

[1910–15; < French, after Jean Louis Marie Poiseuille (1799–1869), French physician]

Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.

poise

Past participle: poised
Gerund: poising

Imperative

poise

poise

Collins English Verb Tables © HarperCollins Publishers 2011

Poise

Counterbalance weight for Cotton scales. A poise might weigh from a fraction of a pound to thirty or more pounds. It was more commonly referred to as a P.

1001 Words and Phrases You Never Knew You Didn’t Know by W.R. Runyan Copyright © 2011 by W.R. Runyan

Thesaurus

Noun	1.	poise - a cgs unit of dynamic viscosity equal to one dyne-second per square centimeter; the viscosity of a fluid in which a force of one dyne per square centimeter maintains a velocity of 1 centimeter per second unit of viscosity - a unit of measurement for viscosity
	2.	poise - a state of being balanced in a stable equilibrium equilibrium - a stable situation in which forces cancel one another
	3.	poise - great coolness and composure under strain; "keep your cool" aplomb, assuredness, sang-froid, cool calm, calmness, composure, equanimity - steadiness of mind under stress; "he accepted their problems with composure and she with equanimity"
Verb	1.	poise - be motionless, in suspension; "The bird poised for a few moments before it attacked" hover - hang in the air; fly or be suspended above
	2.	poise - prepare (oneself) for something unpleasant or difficult brace gear up, prepare, ready, set, fix, set up - make ready or suitable or equip in advance for a particular purpose or for some use, event, etc; "Get the children ready for school!"; "prepare for war"; "I was fixing to leave town after I paid the hotel bill" nerve, steel - get ready for something difficult or unpleasant
	3.	poise - cause to be balanced or suspended lay, place, put, set, position, pose - put into a certain place or abstract location; "Put your things here"; "Set the tray down"; "Set the dogs on the scent of the missing children"; "Place emphasis on a certain point"
	4.	poise - hold or carry in equilibrium balance carry, bear, hold - support or hold in a certain manner; "She holds her head high"; "He carried himself upright" juggle - hold with difficulty and balance insecurely; "the player juggled the ball" balance, equilibrise, equilibrize, equilibrate - bring into balance or equilibrium; "She has to balance work and her domestic duties"; "balance the two weights"

Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.

poise

noun

1. composure, cool (slang), presence, assurance, dignity, equilibrium, serenity, coolness, aplomb, calmness, equanimity, presence of mind, sang-froid, savoir-faire, self-possession It took a moment for Mark to recover his poise.

2. grace, balance, equilibrium, elegance Ballet classes are important for poise.

Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

poise

noun

1. A stable, calm state of the emotions:

aplomb, balance, collectedness, composure, coolness, equanimity, imperturbability, imperturbableness, nonchalance, sang-froid, self-possession, unflappability.

Slang: cool.

2. Freedom from constraint, formality, embarrassment, or awkwardness:

casualness, ease, easiness, informality, naturalness, spontaneity, unceremoniousness, unrestraint.

verb

1. To place or be placed on a narrow or insecure surface:

balance, perch.

2. To remain stationary over a place or object:

hang, hover.

The American Heritage® Roget's Thesaurus. Copyright © 2013, 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Translations

تَوازُن، مِشْيَه متوازِنَهرَباطَة جأشيُوازِن

duševní rovnováharovnováhaudržovat v rovnováze

balancerefatningkropsbeherskelse

balancierenGelassenheitGleichgewicht

assuranceéquilibretenir en équilibre

egyensúlyérzetkiegyensúlyoz

andlegt jafnvægihalda jafnvægistöîugleiki; góîur limaburîur

equilibrioessere prontitenere in equilibrioequilibrare

išlaikyti pusiausvyrąpakibęssavitvarda

balansētnosvērtībapaškontrolestājaturēt līdzsvaru

balanse og kontrollgod kroppsholdning

пуаз

duševná rovnováhaudržiavať v rovnováhe

ağırbaşlılıkdengedengelemekkendine güven

使保持平衡自信身体平衡

poise

[pɔɪz]

A. N

1. (= balance) → equilibrio m

2. (= carriage of head, body) → porte m
she dances with such poise → baila con tal elegancia or tal garbo

3. (= composure or dignity of manner) → elegancia f, aplomo m
she does it with great poise → lo hace con el mayor aplomo
he lacks poise → le falta confianza en sí mismo or aplomo

B. VT

1. (= hold ready or balanced) → equilibrar, balancear
the rock was poised on the edge of the cliff → la roca se balanceaba al borde del precipicio
the hawk was poised in the air, about to swoop on its prey → el águila se cernía inmóvil en el aire, a punto de caer sobre su presa
a waitress approached, pencil poised → se acercó una camarera, lápicero en ristre
he remained poised between life and death → permanecía debatiéndose entre la vida y la muerte

2. to be poised (fig) (= ready, all set) → estar listo
they are poised to attack or for the attack → están listos para atacar

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

poise

[ˈpɔɪz]

n

(= calmness) → calme m

(= grace) → maintien m élégant

(= balance) → équilibre m

[head, body] → port m

vt (= position) → placer en équilibre

Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

poise

n

(= carriage: of head, body) → Haltung f; (= grace) → Grazie f; the poise of her head → ihre Kopfhaltung; the graceful poise of the dancer’s body → die Grazie or graziöse Haltung der Tänzerin/des Tänzers

(= composure) → Gelassenheit f; (= self-possession) → Selbstsicherheit f; a woman of great poise and charm → eine Frau voller Selbstsicherheit und Charme; her poise as a hostess → ihre Sicherheit als Gastgeberin; to recover or regain one’s poise → seine Selbstbeherrschung wiedererlangen; he lacks poise → ihm fehlt die Gelassenheit

vt

(= balance, hold balanced) → balancieren; he poised the knife ready to strike → er hielt das Messer so, dass er jederzeit zustechen konnte; she poised her pen over her notebook → sie hielt den Kugelschreiber schreibbereit über ihrem Notizblock; the tiger poised itself to spring → der Tiger machte sich sprungbereit

(in passive) to be/hang poised (bird, rock, sword) → schweben; the diver was poised on the edge of the pool → der Taucher stand sprungbereit auf dem Beckenrand; the tiger was poised ready to spring → der Tiger lauerte sprungbereit; we sat poised on the edge of our chairs → wir balancierten auf den Stuhlkanten ? also poised a, b

vi → (für einen Moment) unbeweglich bleiben; (bird, helicopter) → schweben; he poised for a second on the edge of the pool → er verharrte einen Augenblick am Beckenrand

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

poise

[pɔɪz]

1. n (carriage of head, body) → portamento; (balance) → equilibrio; (composure, dignity of manner) → padronanza di sé; (calmness) → calma

2. vt (balance) → mettere in equilibrio; (hold balanced) → tenere in equilibrio

Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995

poise

(poiz) verb

to balance. He poised himself on the diving-board. balanseer يُوازِن уравновесявам equilibrar-se udržovat (se) v rovnováze balancieren balancere ισορροπώ, ζυγιάζομαι equilibrar, balancear tasakaalu hoidma نگهداشتن tasapainoilla tenir en équilibreמוכן संतुलित रखना uravnotežiti (ki)egyensúlyoz mengambil keseimbangan halda jafnvægi (tenersi in equilibrio) 釣合をとる 균형을 잡다 išlaikyti pusiausvyrą balansēt; turēt līdzsvaru menyeimbangkan balancerenbalansere utrzymywać w równowadze ساتل equilibrar-se a se ţine în echilibru балансировать udržiavať (sa) v rovnováhe držati v ravnotežju balansirati balansera สมดุล dengelemek 使保持平衡 балансувати; утримувати рівновагу توازن رکھنا giữ thăng bằng 使保持平衡

noun

1. balance and control in bodily movement. Good poise is important for a dancer. balans, houding تَوازُن، مِشْيَه متوازِنَه равновесие equilíbrio rovnováha das Gleichgewicht kropsbeherskelse ισορροπίαequilibrio rüht تعادل kehonhallinta équilibre בַּעַל שֶקֶט נַפשִׁי संतुलन držati ravnotežu egyensúly(érzet) keseimbangan stöðugleiki; góður limaburður equilibrio バランス 균형 laikysena stāja keseimbangan badan evenwicht, houdinggod kroppsholdning, balanse og kontrollpostawa سمون، تعادل، برابرى equilíbrio echilibru равновесие; осанка rovnováha ravnotežje ravnoteža balans ความสมดุล denge (身體)平衡 рівновага متوازن نقل و حرکت khả năng giữ thăng bằng （身体）平衡

2. dignity and self-confidence. He lost his poise for a moment. selfvertroue رَباطَة جأش стойка pose duševní rovnováha die Gelassenheit fatning αυτοκυριαρχίαaplomo, desenvoltura tasakaalukus متانت arvokkuus assurance קַר רוּחַ संतुलन sigurno držanje higgadtság keyakinan andlegt jafnvægi equilibrio 落着き 침착, 냉정 pusiausvyra, savitvarda nosvērtība; paškontrole sikap tenang dan yakin zelfverzekerdheidlikevekt, selvsikkerhet opanowanie, pewność siebie متانت pose siguranţă самообладание duševná rovnováha samozavest samopouzdanje värdighet, säkerhet ความมั่นใจ kendine güven; ağırbaşlılık 自信 урівноваженість, самовладання شرافت، خود اعتمادي sự tự tin 自信

poised adjective

1. staying in a state of balance and stillness. The car was poised on the edge of the cliff. gebalanseer مُتوازِن балансиран equilibrado vyvážený, nehybně visící im Gleichgewicht sein i ligevægt ισορροπημένοςequilibrado tasakaalus قرار گرفته tasapainossa en équilibre (sur) תלוי अनश्चित sigurnog držanja egyensúlyi helyzetben dalam keadaan seimbang grafkyrr (hangandi) in equilibrio 静止して 균형상태로 정지한 pakibęs būt līdzsvara/miera stāvoklī tenang dan yakin in evenwicht balansert, i likevektnieruchomy ځاى پر ځاى شوې equilibrado în echilibru находящийся в состоянии равновесия nehybne visiaci v ravnotežju balansirati balanserande ที่ทรงตัวได้ dengede 平衡的 балансуючий توازن برقرار ہونے کي حالت ميں trạng thái thăng bằng 平衡的

2. having the body in a state of tension and readiness to act. The animal was poised ready to leap. gereed مُسْتَعِد بتَوَتُّر насочен equilibrado přichystaný k halten klar til handling ζυγιασμένος, που βρίσκεται σε κατάσταση ισορροπίας listo, preparado (hüppe)valmis آماده valmiina prêt à bondir sur מוכן शांत sigurnog nastupa (ugrásra) kész(en) siap bertindak í viðbragðsstöðu pronto 構えた 행동할 태세인 įsitempęs saspringts; sasprindzis bersedia gereedparat til handling sprężony, gotowy تيار، آماده suspenso încordat готовый; в стойке prichystaný na biti pripravljen na napet beredd, samlad ในท่าพร้อม harekete geçmeye hazır 作好準備的 такий, що вагається بالکل تيار tư thế sẵn sàng 作好准备的

Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.