poise1

[poiz] /pɔɪz/
noun
1.
a state of balance or equilibrium, as from equality or equal distribution of weight; equipoise.
2.
a dignified, self-confident manner or bearing; composure; self-possession:
to show poise in company.
3.
steadiness; stability:
intellectual poise.
4.
suspense or wavering, as between rest and motion or two phases of motion:
the poise of the tides.
5.
the way of being poised, held, or carried.
6.
the state or position of hovering:
the poise of a bird in the air.
verb (used with object), poised, poising.
7.
to adjust, hold, or carry in equilibrium; balance evenly.
8.
to hold supported or raised, as in position for casting, using, etc.:
to poise a spear.
9.
to hold or carry in a particular manner:
She walked, carefully poising a water jug on her head.
10.
Obsolete. to weigh.
verb (used without object), poised, poising.
11.
to rest in equilibrium; be balanced.
12.
to hover, as a bird in the air.
Origin
1350-1400; (noun) Middle English pois(e) weight < Old French (French poids) < Late Latin pēnsum, noun use of neuter past participle of Latin pendere to weigh; (v.) Middle English poisen to weigh < Old French poiser, variant, based on tonic stem, of peser < Latin pēnsāre, frequentative of pendere
Synonyms
2. self-assurance; polish, grace, refinement.
Antonyms
1, 3. instability.

poise2

[pwahz] /pwɑz/
noun, Physics.
1.
a centimeter-gram-second unit of viscosity, equal to the viscosity of a fluid in which a stress of one dyne per square centimeter is required to maintain a difference of velocity of one centimeter per second between two parallel planes in the fluid that lie in the direction of flow and are separated by a distance of one centimeter. Symbol: P.
Origin
1910-15; < French; namedafter Jean Louis Marie Poiseuille (1799-1869), French physician
Examples from the web for poise
  • Together, the whole is a quite extraordinary feat of structural engineering, using poise and balance in place of brute strength.
  • It's all about finding a balance between heritage and hip, poise and playfulness.
  • No, it was not their colors: it was the poise and balance of the period itself.
  • You try to give him as much dignity and poise as possible.
  • But the young woman retained her poise throughout the ordeal, and her captors could not prove witchcraft.
  • And thus made him lose all his poise.
  • Though the moral poise is admirable, its art is not very moving.
  • He has neither the poise nor the panache.
  • This same poise, however, sometimes renders the artwork static and the banter and movement of the text is lost.
  • Hillary recovered from a tremendous personal and political disappointment with grace and poise.
British Dictionary definitions for poise

poise1

/pɔɪz/
noun
1.
composure or dignity of manner
2.
physical balance or assurance in movement or bearing
3.
the state of being balanced or stable; equilibrium; stability
4.
the position of hovering
5.
suspense or indecision
verb
6.
to be or cause to be balanced or suspended
7.
(transitive) to hold, as in readiness: to poise a lance
8.
(transitive) a rare word for weigh1
Word Origin
C16: from Old French pois weight, from Latin pēnsum, from pendere to weigh

poise2

/pwɑːz; pɔɪz/
noun
1.
the cgs unit of viscosity; the viscosity of a fluid in which a tangential force of 1 dyne per square centimetre maintains a difference in velocity of 1 centimetre per second between two parallel planes 1 centimetre apart. It is equivalent to 0.1 newton second per square metre P
Word Origin
C20: named after Jean Louis Marie Poiseuille (1799–1869), French physician
Word Origin and History for poise
n.

early 15c., "weight, quality of being heavy," later "significance, importance" (mid-15c.), from Old French pois "weight, balance, consideration" (12c., Modern French poids), from Medieval Latin pesum "weight," from Latin pensum "something weighted or weighed," (source of Provençal and Catalan pes, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian peso), noun use of neuter past participle of pendere "to weigh" (see pendant).

The sense of "steadiness, composure" first recorded 1640s, from notion of being equally weighted on either side (1550s). Meaning "balance" is from 1711; meaning "way in which the body is carried" is from 1770.

v.

late 14c., "to have a certain weight," from stressed form of Old French peser "to weigh, be heavy; weigh down, be a burden; worry, be a concern," from Vulgar Latin *pesare, from Latin pensare "to weigh carefully, weigh out, counter-balance," frequentative of pendere (past participle pensus) "to weigh" (see pendant). For form evolution from Latin to French, see OED. Meaning "to place in equilibrium" is from 1630s (cf. equipoise). Passive sense of "to be ready" (to do something) is from 1932. Related: Poised; poising. In 15c. a poiser was an official who weighed goods.

poise in Medicine

poise (poiz, pwäz)
n.
A centimeter-gram-second unit of dynamic viscosity equal to one dyne-second per square centimeter.

poise in Science
poise
  (poiz, pwäz)   
The unit of dynamic viscosity in the centimeter-gram-second system, equal to one dyne-second per square centimeter, or 0.1 pascal-seconds.