POISING

Verb

poising

present participle of poise

Noun

poising (plural poisings)

The act by which something is poised.

And then his father came up beside him where he stood before a tattered last year's circus poster on the other side of the store, gazing rapt and quiet at the scarlet horses, the incredible poisings and convolutions of tulle and tights […]

Source: Wiktionary

POISE

Poise, n. Etym: [OE. pois, peis, OF. pois, peis, F. poids, fr. L. pensum a portion weighed out, pendere to weigh, weigh out. Cf. Avoirdupois, Pendant, Poise, v.] [Formerly written also peise.]

1. Weight; gravity; that which causes a body to descend; heaviness. "Weights of an extraordinary poise." Evelyn.

2. The weight, or mass of metal, used in weighing, to balance the substance weighed.

3. The state of being balanced by equal weight or power; equipoise; balance; equilibrium; rest. Bentley.

4. That which causes a balance; a counterweight. Men of unbounded imagination often want the poise of judgment. Dryden.

Poise, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Poised, (; p. pr. & vb. n. Poising.] Etym: [OE. poisen, peisen, OF. & F. peser, to weigh, balance, OF. il peise, il poise, he weighs, F. il pèse, fr. L. pensare, v. intens. fr. pendere to weigh. See Poise, n., and cf. Pensive.] [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.

Poise, v. i.

Definition: To hang in equilibrium; to be balanced or suspended; hence, to be in suspense or doubt. The slender, graceful spars Poise aloft in air. Longfellow.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition