[poise] n [ME poyse weight, heaviness, fr. MF pois, fr. L pensum, fr. neut. of pensus, pp. of pendere to weigh--more at pendant] (1555) 1: a stably balanced state: equilibrium "a ~ between widely divergent impulses --F. R. Leavis"
2. a: easy self-possessed assurance of manner: gracious tact in coping or handling; also: the pleasantly tranquil interaction between persons of poise "no angry outbursts marred the ~ of the meeting" b: a particular way of carrying oneself: bearing, carriage syn see tact
[2]poise vb poised ; pois.ing [ME, to weigh, ponder, fr. MF pois-, stem of peser, fr. L pensare--more at pensive] vt (1598) 1 a: balance; esp: to hold or carry in equilibrium "carried a water jar poised on her head" b: to hold supported or suspended without motion in a steady position "poised her fork and gave her guest a knowing look --Louis Bromfield"
2: to hold or carry (the head) in a particular way
3: to put into readiness: brace ~ vi 1: to become drawn up into readiness
2: hover [3]poise n [F, fr. Jean Louis Marie Poiseuille d. 1869 Fr. physician and anatomist] (1913): a centimeter-gram-second unit of viscosity equal to the viscosity of a fluid that would require a shearing force of one dyne to move a square-centimeter area of either of two parallel layers of fluid one centimeter apart with a velocity of one centimeter per second relative to the other layer with the space between the layers being filled with the fluid