poise means A state of balance, equilibrium or stability.
poise is pronounced /pɔɪz/.
Why “poise” is a great word
A state of graceful balance in bearing, movement, or condition, or the act of holding something—or oneself—in such equilibrium. From Middle English *poys*, *poyse*, from Anglo-Norman/Middle French *pois*, *poise* ("weight, measure of weight"), from Latin *pendere* ("to weigh, ponder"). Unlike "equilibrium," which denotes a precise physical balance of opposing forces, or "aplomb," which emphasizes unshakable, almost theatrical confidence, poise is the quieter, more continuous art of suspension. It is the dancer's arrested stillness between leaps, the liquid held trembling at the brim of the glass, or the steady breath taken before a difficult truth is spoken—a cultivated calm that holds the potential for motion perfectly in check.
Etymology
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.
noun
- A state of balance, equilibrium or stability.“plants and animals, which are all made up of and nourished by water, and perhaps never return to water again, do not keep things at a poise”
- Composure; freedom from embarrassment or affectation.
- Mien; bearing or deportment of the head or body.
- A condition of hovering, or being suspended.
- A CGS unit of dynamic viscosity equal to one dyne-second per square centimetre.“Letterpress and offset gloss varnishes normally have viscosities varying from 50 to 250 poises; they must stain the paper as little as possible, have insufficient tack to cause plucking, […]”
- Weight; an amount of weight, the amount something weighs.“as an huge rockie clift, / Whose false foundation waues haue washt away, / With dreadfull poyse is from the mayneland rift, / […] So downe he fell […]”
- The weight, or mass of metal, used in weighing, to balance the substance weighed.
- That which causes a balance; a counterweight.“As for Hyperboles, I will neither quote Lucan, nor Statius, Men of an unbounded imagination, but who often wanted the Poyze of Judgement.”
- Unit of viscosity in the centimetre–gram–second system of units (CGS).
verb
- To hang in equilibrium; to be balanced or suspended; hence, to be in suspense or doubt.“The slender, graceful spars / Poise aloft in the air.”
- To counterpoise; to counterbalance.“one scale of reason to poise another of sensuality”
- To be of a given weight; to weigh.
- To add weight to, to weigh down.“Every man poiseth [translating poise] upon his fellowes sinne, and elevates his owne.”
- To hold (something) with or against something else in equilibrium; to balance, counterpose.“you saw her faire none els being by, / Her selfe poysd with her selfe in either eye.”
- To hold (something) in equilibrium, to hold balanced and ready; to carry (something) ready to be used.“I poised the crowbar in my hand, and waited.”
- To keep (something) in equilibrium; to hold suspended or balanced.“The rock was poised precariously on the edge of the cliff.”
- To ascertain, as if by balancing; to weigh.“He cannot sincerely consider the strength, poise the weight, and discern the evidence.”
Words closest in meaning
By meaning, not spelling — each word's AI semantic fingerprint, nearest first.
- aplomb 88% match — Self-confidence; poise; composure. vs poise →
- portance 86% match — The manner in which one carries oneself; behaviour. vs poise →
- counterpoise 86% match — A weight sufficient to balance another, for example in the opposite end of scales; an equal weight. vs poise →
- equilibrium 86% match — The condition of a system in which competing influences are balanced, resulting in no net change. vs poise →
- presence 86% match — The fact or condition of being present, or of being within sight or call, or at hand. vs poise →
- elegance 85% match — Grace, refinement, and beauty in movement, appearance, or manners. vs poise →
- balancedness 85% match — The state or quality of being balanced. vs poise →
- deportment 85% match — Bearing; manner of presenting oneself. vs poise →