poise

plural poises

1. countableuncountableA state of balance, equilibrium or stability.

   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. countableuncountableComposure; freedom from embarrassment or affectation.
3. countableuncountableMien; bearing or deportment of the head or body.
4. countableuncountableA condition of hovering, or being suspended.
5. countableuncountablenatural sciencesA CGS unit of dynamic viscosity equal to one dyne-second per square centimetre.

   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. countableobsoleteuncountableWeight; an amount of weight, the amount something weighs.

   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, →OCLC

7. countableuncountableThe weight, or mass of metal, used in weighing, to balance the substance weighed.
8. countableuncountableThat which causes a balance; a counterweight.

   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, →OCLC, page 25

present singular third person poises · participle present poising · participle past poised · past poised

1. obsoleteTo hang in equilibrium; to be balanced or suspended; hence, to be in suspense or doubt.

   The slender, graceful spars / Poise aloft in the air.

   1850, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, The Seaside and the Fireside

2. obsoleteTo counterpoise; to counterbalance.

   1699, John Dryden, Epistle to John Dryden to poise with solid sense a sprightly wit

   1 more example

   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, →OCLC, [Act I, scene iii]

3. obsoleteTo be of a given weight; to weigh.First known use 14th–17th c.
4. obsoleteTo add weight to, to weigh down.First known use 16th–18th c.

   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 […], →OCLC

5. archaicTo hold (something) with or against something else in equilibrium; to balance, counterpose.First known use 16th c.

   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, →OCLC, [Act I, scene ii]

6. To hold (something) in equilibrium, to hold balanced and ready; to carry (something) ready to be used.First known use 16th c.

   to poise the scales of a balance

   3 more examples

   I poised the crowbar in my hand, and waited.

   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, […], →OCLC

   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.First known use 17th c.

   The rock was poised precariously on the edge of the cliff.

8. To ascertain, as if by balancing; to weigh.

   He cannot sincerely consider the strength, poise the weight, and discern the evidence.

   1692–1717, Robert South, Twelve Sermons Preached upon Several Occasions, volume (please specify |volume=I to VI), London

plural poises

1. Unit of viscosity in the centimetre–gram–second system of units (CGS).