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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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