▪ I. † pose, n.1 Obs.
Forms: 1 ᵹepos, 4–7 (8–9 dial.) pose, 5–6 poose, 7 pooss, poze.
[OE. ᵹe-pos a catarrh, cough, f. Brythonic *pas- cough, whence W., Corn. pas, Breton paz cough, from Aryan *kwes- to wheeze, whence also Skr. {cced}vas-, OE. hwǽsan.]
A cold in the head, catarrh.
| c 1000 Sax. Leechd. II. 54 Wiþ ᵹesnote & ᵹeposum ᵹenim oxna lyb. a 1050 Herb. Apul. xlvi. ibid. I. 148 Wið ᵹeposu [Ad tussim gravem]. c 1305 E.E. Poems (1862) 37 To hele him of þe pose. c 1386 Chaucer Manciple's T. Prol. 62 He speketh in his nose And fneseth faste and eek he hath the pose. 1486 Bk. St. Albans C iij b, For the Cogh or the poose Take powdre of Bays [etc.]. 1530 Palsgr. 582/1, I have the pose, jay la catarre or je suis enrimé. 1706 Phillips, Pose,..a Rheum in the Head. a 1825 Forby Voc. E. Anglia, Pose, a catarrh, or cold in the head. |
b. in the horse.
| 1607 Topsell Four-f. Beasts (1658) 277 If the Horse casteth little or no matter out of his nose,..it is a sign that he is stopped in the head, which we were wont to call the pose. 1610 Markham Masterp. i. xxxviii. 74 The cold or poze in a horses head. 1639 T. de la Grey Compl. Horsem. 59 They be most enclined to poses, rhumes, paines in the head. |
▪ II. pose, n.2 Obs. exc. Sc.
(pəʊz)
Also 5 pos, 6 pois, poiss, (poess).
[app., that which has been deposited or laid down, f. F. poser to place, lay down: see pose v.1]
A hoard, treasure, secret store of money, etc.
| c 1440 Promp. Parv. 410/2 Pos, or depos, depositum. 1549 Compl. Scot. xi. 89 Thir said princis gat, in the spulȝe..the kyng of Francis pose, quhilk vas al in engel noblis. 1563 Winȝet Wks. (S.T.S.) II. 56 Quhat wes committit to thee, lat that remane in thy poiss. 1637 Rutherford Lett. iii. xlvii. (1881) 537 If you seek, there is a pose, a hidden treasure, a gold mine in Christ you never yet saw. 1816 Scott Antiq. xxiv, This grand pose o' silver and treasure. 1844 M. A. Richardson Hist. Table-bk., Leg. Div. II. 91 The ‘pose’ was gone, the coffer had vanished. |
▪ III. † pose, n.3 Obs.
App. a variant of posy. (Perh. first in the plural, posies being taken as poses.)
| 1542 Udall Erasm. Apoph. 274 b, What poses certain persones wrote under the images of Brutus & Caesar. a 1548 Hall Chron., Hen. VIII 3 b, Many subtleties, straunge deuises, with seuerall poses. 1553 T. Wilson Rhet. 100 b, If we purpose to dilate our cause hereby with poses and sentences. 15.. Songs Costume (Percy Soc.) 65 Suche garded huoes, Suche playted shoes, And suche a pose, Say y never. |
▪ IV. † pose, n.4 Obs.
[f. pose v.2]
A state of perplexity.
| 1616 Sir C. Mountagu in Buccleuch MSS. (Hist. MSS. Comm.) I. 249 The Lords they say are at a pose what to do. |
▪ V. pose, n.5
(pəʊz)
[a. F. pose, f. poser to put, place: see pose v.1]
An act of posing.
1. An attitude or posture of the body, or of a part of the body, esp. one deliberately assumed, or in which a figure is placed for effect, or for artistic purposes.
| 1818 Lady Morgan Autobiog. (1859) 170 Spencer begged the cover, and read out the letter, that my pose might not be disturbed. 1848 A. Jameson Sacr. & Leg. Art (1850) 213 His idea of the pose was borrowed, as we are told, from an antique statue. 1883 B. Harte Carquinez Woods i. 11 He unconsciously fell into an attitude that in any other mortal would have been a pose. |
2. fig. An attitude of mind or conduct.
| 1884 J. Tait Mind in Matter (1892) 311 There is difficulty in the silent pose, and meek opposition, of many of the learned in the presence of idealism, creating suspicion of partial acceptance. 1898 G. W. E. Russell Coll. & Recoll. xiii. 176 This portentous age of reticence and pose. 1904 R. J. Campbell Serm. Individuals vi. 109 ‘I thought.’ He had prepared himself in his mental pose for what did not take place. |
3. Dominoes. = down n.3 3: see quots.
| 1865 Compl. Domino-Player 11 The pose, or turn to commence the game, is determined in one particular manner in all games of dominoes. 1870 Hardy & Ware Mod. Hoyle, Dominoes 92 On the Continent{ddd}the person holding the highest double has the ‘pose’ or ‘down’, and he commences by playing that domino. If there should be no doubles, then the person holding the highest domino has the pose. |
4. N. Amer. A resting place on a portage; the distance between two such rests. Obs. except Hist.
| 1793 J. Macdonnell in C. M. Gates Five Fur Traders (1933) 96 The portage is full of hills is divided by the voyageurs into sixteen Poses or resting places. c 1840 D. Thompson Narr. Explorations W. Amer. 1784–1812 (1916) xviii. 294 A Rest, or Pose, is the distance the cargo of a canoe is carried from place to place and then rest. 1858 Porter's Spirit of Times 30 Jan. 338/1 In crossing a long portage, they do not go through the whole distance with one load, but divide it into ‘poses’ or rests; and carry in succession each load to the first ‘pose’, and then carry them all to the second one, and so on, so that they can rest in walking back for the loads. 1933 C. M. Gates Five Fur Traders 97 Inasmuch as the same places were used as poses by all who passed, it came to be the common thing to measure the length of a portage by the number of poses along the trail. 1941 J. F. McDermott Gloss. Mississippi Valley French 1673–1850 126 The average length of a pose was about one-third of a mile. 1969 E. W. Morse Fur Trade Canoe Routes i. i. 5 If the portage was more than half a mile (a ten-minute carry), the voyageur, in order better to distribute his loaded and unloaded periods, dropped his packs at what was known as a pose, and went back for the next load. Poses were about half a mile apart. |
Add: [1.] b. Dancing. A position adopted by a dancer in which the body is held static, as in an arabesque, etc.
| 1922 Beaumont & Idzikowski Man. Classical Theatr. Dancing Pl. xiii (caption) Pose from first exercise on port de bras. 1957 G. B. L. Wilson Dict. Ballet 220 Pose, a static position as against the dancer in movement. 1967 Chujoy & Manchester Dance Encycl. 740/1 Poses in ballet include attitude, arabesque, etc. 1980 M. Fonteyn Magic of Dance 198 He will end a ballet with the dancers in a uniform pose, all kneeling. |
▪ VI. † pose, n.6 Obs.
[a. OF. pose a land measure (1336 in Godef.), Fr. Swiss pose an old superficial measure for meadows, fields, and forests, = half the faux, or 32,768 sq. feet (Godef.).]
A superficial measure of land, = about three-quarters of an acre.
| 1759 J. Mills Duhamel's Husb. ii. ii. 265 This field contains, according to our measure, six poses. Each pose contains 400 square perches, and each perch nine feet. 1763 ― Pract. Husb. II. 306 Another field of betwixt nine and ten poses (equal to about seven acres and three roods). |
▪ VII. pose, v.1
(pəʊz)
pa. tense and pple. posed: in ME. also post.
[a. F. poser (in all the chief senses of the Eng. word):—L. pausāre to halt, cease, pause, in late L. to rest (see pause v.), which subsequently acquired also through confusion with L. pōnĕre (posui, positum) the trans. sense to lay to rest, put or set down, place, properly belonging to the latter (so in Leges Alam. tit. 45, pausant arma sua josum they lay their arms down); so It. posare, Pr. pausar, Sp. posar, all trans. and intr., Pg. pousar intr.
The sense of pōnere having been restricted in the Romanic of Gaul (as shown by Fr. and Prov.) to ‘lay eggs’, its numerous compounds (com-, de-, dis-, ex-, im-, op-, pro-, supponere, etc.) were replaced in Fr. and Prov. by corresponding new compounds of pausare: see appose v.2, compose, etc.; It., Sp., and Pg. retain the original compounds of ponere. A Com. Romanic compound of the intr. pausare is represented by repose.]
† 1. trans. To place in a specified situation or condition. Obs. rare.
| c 1380 Wyclif Serm. Sel. Wks. I. 242 Noþing is better post to þe likyng of þe fend. c 1420 Pallad. on Husb. iii. 495 But xxx footis pose Vche order of from other. |
b. Dominoes. See quot. and cf. pose n.5 3.
| 1865 Compl. Domino-Player 40 In placing the first domino on the table, or posing, as it is called, you might [etc.]. |
† 2. To suppose or assume for argument's sake. (Usually with obj. clause.) Obs.
| c 1374 Chaucer Troylus iii. 261 (310) A[s] þus I pose a womman graunte me Here loue and seyth þat oþer wole she non. 1377 Langl. P. Pl. B. xvii. 293, I pose I hadde synned so..myȝte I nouȝte be saued? c 1420 Pallad. on Husb. i. 285 Yet pose y that hit might amendid be. 1528 Kalender of Sheph. xxxvii. P vij b, Yf it were possyble that the erthe were enhabyted all aboute & pose [earlier edd. puttand] the case y{supt} it were so. |
3. a. To lay down, put forth (an assertion, allegation, claim, instance, etc.).
| 1512 Helyas in Thoms Prose Rom. (1828) III. 92 He made iniuriously to pose and put in faite that the said duchesse had made to empoysen her husband. 1662 Glanvill Lux Orient. xi. (1682) 85 God himself in his posing the great instance of patience, Job, seems to intimate somewhat to this purpose. 1882 Owen in Longm. Mag. I. 64 What is posed as the ‘Neanderthal skull’ is the roof of the brain⁓case. 1888 Science XI. 256/2 M. Janet..poses the new psychology as of French origin. |
b. To propound, propose (a question or problem).
| 1862 Sala Accepted Addr. 124, I don't require any answer to my question, now that I have posed it. 1873 Symonds Grk. Poets i. 14 Hesiod poses the eternal problems: what is the origin and destiny of mankind? |
4. a. To place in an attitude (as an artist's model or sitter, etc.). Also fig.
| 1859 Gullick & Timbs Paint. 312 The model is posed or in other words ‘set’ in some particular attitude. 1868 Tuckerman Collector 70 In studied attitude, like one poséd for a daguerreotype. 1878 Abney Photogr. (1881) 240 In posing a group, let it be remembered that each figure is animate, and should not be made to look as lifeless as a statue. |
b. intr. To assume a certain attitude; to place oneself in position, esp. for artistic purposes.
| 1850 Edin. Rev. July 196 He drapes himself, and poses before you in every variety of attitude. 1885 Truth 28 May 834/2 Tableaux are a great improvement on drawingroom amateur theatricals,..it is more easy to pose than to act. |
c. fig. To present oneself in a particular character (often implying that it is assumed); to set up as, give oneself out as; to attitudinize.
| 1840 Thackeray Shabby-genteel Story vi, He..‘posed’ before her as a hero of the most sublime kind. 1877 Black Green Past. xv, Was it true that these were the real objects which caused this man to pose as a philanthropist? 1888 Bryce Amer. Commw. III. lxxxi. 70 Politicians have of late years begun to pose as the special friends of the working man. |
Hence posed ppl. a.1 rare, † (a) composed, grave, sedate (obs.); (b) placed or arranged in a pose or posture, as a sitter; (c) assumed as a pose; deliberately adopted or put on; whence ˈposedness; ˈposing vbl. n.1 and ppl. a.1 (sense 4).
| a 1693 Urquhart's Rabelais iii. xix, An old setled Person, of a most *posed, stayed and grave Behaviour. 1891 Anthony's Photogr. Bull. IV. 137 Now this is not a ‘posed’ subject, but taken in an actual game, which makes it so much the more interesting. 1909 M. B. Saunders Litany Lane i. iv. 43 There was also a nun-like acquiescence in her bearing, prim for her thirty-three years, and possibly a trifle posed. |
| 1891 Temple Bar Mag. Mar. 442 It has the earnestness of Ingres, marred..by his conventionality, and a certain flat *posedness. |
| 1889 Anthony's Photogr. Bull. II. 88 By *posing we obtain likeness improved by beauty of outline and graceful posture. 1890 Ibid. III. 411 The posing chair should be a low-backed chair fastened to a platform..on castors. This enables the operator to move the sitter to any position, without the trouble of getting up. |
| 1888 Pennell Sent. Journ. 149 Barbizon, with its picture galleries and *posing peasants. |
▪ VIII. pose, v.2
(pəʊz)
Also 7 poase, 7–9 poze.
[Aphetic form of appose v.1 or of oppose, which was confused with it.]
† 1. trans. To examine by questioning, question, interrogate: = appose v.1 1, oppose v. 1. Obs.
| 1526 Tindale Luke ii. 46 They founde hym in the temple sittinge in the middes of the doctours, both hearynge them and posinge them. 1579 Fulke Heskins's Parl. 176 Let me pose him in his aunswere like a childe. 1612 Brinsley Lud. Lit. iii. (1627) 16 Let so many..stand together, and then poase them without booke, one by one. 1688 Bunyan Dying Sayings Wks. 50 Let us therefore be posing ourselves which of the two it will be. 1722 Wodrow Corr. (1843) II. 648 When posed about faith, they answered in terms of the Confession of Faith and Catechism. |
2. To place in a difficulty with a question or problem; to puzzle, confuse, perplex, nonplus.
| 1593 Donne Sat. iv. 20 A thing which would have pos'd Adam to name. 1605 Verstegan Dec. Intell. ii. (1628) 30 Now hath Occa posed me about the countrie of India, which he expresely saith was in Africa. 1611 Cotgr., Faire quinaut, to pose, or driue to a Nonplus. a 1625 Fletcher & Mass. Cust. Country iii. ii, What precious piece of nature To poze the world? a 1677 Barrow Serm. (1687) I. xxiii. 309 A question wherewith a learned Pharisee thought to pose or puzzle him. 1711 Steele Spect. No. 113 ¶4 You must make Love to her, as you would conquer the Sphinx, by posing her. 1807 Crabbe Par. Reg. i. 679 Then by what name th' unwelcome guest to call, Was long a question, and it pos'd them all. 1856 Dove Logic Chr. Faith i. i. §2. 61 We have thus posed the mathematician..and the historian. |
† b. transf. To do that which puzzles (another).
| 1630 Cowley Constantia & Philetus xxiv, She took a Lute..And tun'd this Song, posing that harmony Which Poets attribute to heavenly spheres. |
Hence posed ppl. a.2; ˈposing vbl. n.2 and ppl. a.2; whence ˈposingly adv. (Webster 1847); ˈposement nonce-wd., the condition of being posed.
| 1820 Keats Hyperion ii. 244 Whether through *pozed conviction, or disdain, They guarded silence. |
| 1850 L. Hunt Autobiog. III. xx. 60 Puzzlement and *posement of various sorts awaited many readers. |
| 1556 B. Greene in Foxe A. & M. (1583) 1853/1 This greate chere was often powthred with vnsauery sawces of examinations, exhortacions, *posings, and disputacions. 1841 Peacock Ibid. App. A. p. xiii. note, The process of examination was called apposing or posing. |
| 1666 Spurstowe Spir. Chym. (1668) 174 Another dark and *posing thought did arise. |
▪ IX. pose, v.3 dial.
[f. pose n.2]
trans. To hoard, store up (money, etc.).
| 1866 Gregor Dial. Banffshire s.v., The aul' bodie hiz a houd o' siller poset up, an's eye posin' up mair. |