DICT.TW Dictionary Taiwan
Poise v. t. [imp. & p. p. Poised, p. pr. & vb. n. Poising.] [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.
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]