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poisedmore about poised

poised


  2  definitions  found 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Poise  \Poise\,  v.  t.  [imp.  &  p.  p.  {Poised},  ;  p.  pr  &  vb  n. 
  {Poising}.]  [OE.  poisen,  peisen,  OF  &  F.  peser,  to  weigh, 
  balance,  OF  il  peise,  il  poise,  he  weighs,  F.  il  p[`e]se, 
  fr  L.  pensare  v.  intens.  fr  pendere  to  weigh.  See  {Poise}, 
  n.,  and  cf  {Pensive}.]  [Formerly  written  also  {peise}.] 
  1.  To  balance;  to  make  of  equal  weight;  as  to  poise  the 
  scales  of  a  balance. 
 
  2.  To  hold  or  place  in  equilibrium  or  equiponderance. 
 
  Nor  yet  was  earth  suspended  in  the  sky;  Nor  poised, 
  did  on  her  own  foundation  lie.  --Dryden. 
 
  3.  To  counterpoise;  to  counterbalance. 
 
  One  scale  of  reason  to  poise  another  of  sensuality. 
  --Shak. 
 
  To  poise  with  solid  sense  a  sprightly  wit.  --Dryden. 
 
  4.  To  ascertain,  as  by  the  balance;  to  weigh. 
 
  He  can  not  sincerely  consider  the  strength,  poise 
  the  weight,  and  discern  the  evidence.  --South. 
 
  5.  To  weigh  (down);  to  oppress.  [Obs.] 
 
  Lest  leaden  slumber  peise  me  down  to-morrow.  --Shak. 
 
  From  WordNet  r  1.6  [wn]: 
 
  poised 
  adj  1:  marked  by  balance  or  equilibrium  and  readiness  for  action 
  "a  gull  in  poised  flight";  "George's  poised  hammer" 
  2:  in  full  control  of  your  faculties;  "the  witness  remained 
  collected  throughout  the  cross-examination";  "perfectly 
  poised  and  sure  of  himself";  "more  self-contained  and  more 
  dependable  than  many  of  the  early  frontiersmen";  "strong 
  and  self-possessed  in  the  face  of  trouble"  [syn:  {collected}, 
  {equanimous},  {self-collected},  {self-contained},  {self-possessed}] 




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