I. poise 1 /pɔɪz/ BrE AmE noun [uncountable]
[ Date: 1300-1400 ; Language: Old French ; Origin: pois 'weight, heaviness' , from Latin pensum , from pendere 'to weigh' ]
1 . a calm confident way of behaving, combined with an ability to control your feelings or reactions in difficult situations:
Louisa seems to have much more poise and confidence.
2 . a graceful way of moving or standing, so that your body seems balanced and not awkward:
the poise of a dancer
She’s pretty, but lacks poise.
II. poise 2 BrE AmE verb [transitive always + adverb/preposition]
to put or hold something in a carefully balanced position, especially above something else
poise something over/above something
He poised the bottle over her glass. ‘More wine?’