pos

n. [ AS. gepose; of uncertain origin; cf. W. pas a cough, Skr. kās to cough, and E. wheeze. ] A cold in the head; catarrh. [ Obs. ] Chaucer. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ F. pose, fr. poser. See Pose, v. t. ] The attitude or position of a person; the position of the body or of any member of the body; especially, a position formally assumed for the sake of effect; an artificial position; as, the pose of an actor; the pose of an artist's model or of a statue. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. To assume and maintain a studied attitude, with studied arrangement of drapery; to strike an attitude; to attitudinize; figuratively, to assume or affect a certain character; as, she poses as a prude. [ 1913 Webster ]

He . . . posed before her as a hero. Thackeray. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖a. [ F., placed, posed. ] (Her.) Standing still, with all the feet on the ground; -- said of the attitude of a lion, horse, or other beast. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ Shortened from appose, for oppose. See 2d Appose, Oppose. ] 1. To interrogate; to question. [ Obs. ] “She . . . posed him and sifted him.” Bacon. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To question with a view to puzzling; to embarrass by questioning or scrutiny; to bring to a stand. [ 1913 Webster ]

A question wherewith a learned Pharisee thought to pose and puzzle him. Barrow. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Firm; determined; fixed. “A most posed . . . and grave behavior.” [ Obs. ] Urquhart. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. One who, or that which, puzzles; a difficult or inexplicable question or fact. Bacon. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ ‖n. masc.; pl. Poseurs /plu>, ‖n. fem.; pl. Poseuses /plu> }, [ F. ] A person who poses or attitudizes, esp. mentally. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]