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poise

UK/pɔɪz/ US/ˈpɔɪz/ uncommon archaic obsolete
verb (4) noun (3)

verb

1.

be motionless, in suspension

  • “The bird poised for a few moments before it attacked”
2.

prepare (oneself) for something unpleasant or difficult

Synonyms
3.
4.

hold or carry in equilibrium

Synonyms

noun

1.

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

2.

a state of being balanced in a stable equilibrium

3.

great coolness and composure under strain

  • “keep your cool”
Synonyms

Origin

From Middle English poys, poyse, from Anglo-Norman pois, Middle French pois (“weight”) and Anglo-Norman poise, Middle French poise (“measure of weight”), from Latin pendere (“to weigh, ponder, think”). Doublet of peise.

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WordNet 2.1 (Princeton University). Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). CMU Pronouncing Dictionary. WordNet 2.1 Copyright Princeton University. All rights reserved. Wiktionary content is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike Licence.