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 pèse, 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. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To hold or place in equilibrium or equiponderance. [ 1913 Webster ]

Nor yet was earth suspended in the sky;
Nor poised, did on her own foundation lie. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. To counterpoise; to counterbalance. [ 1913 Webster ]

One scale of reason to poise another of sensuality. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

To poise with solid sense a sprightly wit. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. To ascertain, as by the balance; to weigh. [ 1913 Webster ]

He can not sincerely consider the strength, poise the weight, and discern the evidence. South. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. To weigh (down); to oppress. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

Lest leaden slumber peise me down to-morrow. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ OE. pois, peis, OF. pois, peis, F. poids, fr. L. pensum a portion weighed out, pendere to weigh, weigh out. Cf. Avoirdupois, Pendant, Poise, v. ] [ Formerly written also peise. ] 1. Weight; gravity; that which causes a body to descend; heaviness. “Weights of an extraordinary poise.” Evelyn. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. The weight, or mass of metal, used in weighing, to balance the substance weighed. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. The state of being balanced by equal weight or power; equipoise; balance; equilibrium; rest. Bentley. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. That which causes a balance; a counterweight. [ 1913 Webster ]

Men of unbounded imagination often want the poise of judgment. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. a dignified and self-confident manner; graceful composure and tact in handling difficult social situations. [ PJC ]

v. i. To hang in equilibrium; to be balanced or suspended; hence, to be in suspense or doubt. [ 1913 Webster ]

The slender, graceful spars
Poise aloft in air. Longfellow. [ 1913 Webster ]