poisedadj.
/pɔɪzd/, U.S. /pɔɪzd/ 1. That is or has been poised (in various senses of the verb).Recorded earliest in even-poised.
ΘΚΠ
the world > matter > properties of materials > weight or relative heaviness > [adjective] > heavy or weighed down (with)
loaded (loaden) with?1504
aggravate?1518
poised1596
loaden1600
ingravidate1651
loaded1661
loaded down1847
the world > space > relative position > support > absence of support > [adjective] > held up without support
poised1596
balanced1611
self-poised1621
self-sustained1675
suspended1817
free-standing1837
self-standing1871
1596 F. Sabie Adams Complaint sig. Bv For thee he fram'd earths euen-poysed globe, Hanging it in the aire to humaine woonder.
1626 T. May tr. Lucan Pharsalia i. sig. A3 Hold thou the middle of the poized Sky.
a1643 W. Cartwright Ordinary (1651) ii. iii. 28 Your poyz'd Dye That's ballasted with Quicksilver or gold Is grosse to this.
1675 Philos. Trans. (Royal Soc.) 10 273 The secret of the invention consists in a spiral spring, fastned by its innermost end to the axis or arbre of a poised balance.
1733 S. Bowden Poet. Ess. I. 120 While at a Distance rapid Falcons buoy'd With poised Pinions, skim the liquid Void.
1795 M. Edgeworth Lett. Julia & Caroline 7 in Lett. for Lit. Ladies The even temper, the poised judgment, the stoical serenity of philosophy.
1836 J. H. Ingraham Lafitte I. i. i. 16 A myriad of glad birds, climbing the rosy skies, and emulating the poised lark thrilling forth his matin-song to the rising sun.
1851 H. Melville Moby-Dick lxxi. 352 Macey..standing up in his boat's bow,..essaying to get a fair chance for his poised lance.
1901 R. Kipling Kim iii. 62 He passed within a foot of the cobra's poised head.
1929 Travel Jan. 48/2 Sometimes the whale ‘settled’ at the last moment, leaving the disappointed boatsteerer without a target for his poised weapon.
1992 P. O'Brian Truelove i. 20 Pratt brought his poised drumsticks down with a fine determination.
2. Of a person, behaviour, etc.: composed, self-assured. Cf. self-poised adj.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > emotion > calmness > [adjective] > of appearance or demeanour
coolOE
sobera1375
composed1606
serene1702
mooth1782
poised1912
centred1973
1912 Marion (Ohio) Weekly Star 26 Oct. 3/3 The most perfectly poised person in the court-room was Mrs. Becker, wife of the accused.
1937 Scrutiny Dec. 286 The peculiar poised vivacity of Offenbachian opéra bouffe is partly explained by Shaw.
1961 J. Mercier Whatever you Do ii. 28 Somehow managing to get out a cool, poised, ‘Won't you hold on a second, please’, I covered up the mouthpiece, [etc.].
2000 Daily Mail (Nexis) 21 Aug. 39 Each morning and evening, take two minutes to imagine yourself as a confident and poised person.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, September 2006; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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adj.1596