▪ I. peise, n. Obs. exc. dial.
(peɪz, piːz)
Forms: 4–5 peys, 4–6 peis, 5 pees, 5–6 peyce; peyse, 5–7 peise; 6 peasse, peysse, pece, pese, pease; 6–7 peize, peyze, peaze. β. 4–6 pays, 5 payce, paiss, paysse, pass(e, 5–6 pais; payse, 5–7 paise, Sc. pace, 7 paize.
[ME. peis, peys, in 16th c. (peːs), a. early OF., ONF. and AF. peis (central Fr. pois, now poids) = Pr. pens, pes, Cat. pes, Sp. and It. peso:—L. pensum something weighed, weight, n. from neut. pa. pple. of pendĕre to weigh. The forms in -e, when early, represent OF. peise, med.L. pensa, pēsa, fem. weight, of same derivation: see Du Cange. In 16th c. the two forms ran together as (peːz).]
† 1. The quality of being heavy; heaviness, weight. Also in semi-concr. sense, said of that which is heavy: cf. weight, load, burden. Obs.
| c 1330 R. Brunne Chron. Wace (Rolls) 8792 Þo stanes..Ar so heuy, & of swylk peys. 13.. Coer de L. 4095 Be pays it closes togeder agen. 1398 Trevisa Barth. De P.R. ii. xviii. (1495) ciij/1 Angels..ben not greuyd wyth wyghte nother pees of body. c 1450 Cov. Myst. (Shaks. Soc.) 237 An holy ston Ryth sad of weyth and hevy of peys. 1534 More Comf. agst. Trib. iii. xxvii. (1847) 312 Lift up and let hang with the peise of all his body, bearing down upon the..wounded places. 1582 T. Watson Centurie of Loue xxvii, When Charons boate hath felt her peaze [rime ease]. c 1611 Chapman Iliad xii. 167 A stone of such a paise, That one of this times strongest men, with both hands, could not raise. 1624 Bp. R. Montagu Immed. Addr. 33 Where each part sustaineth the peise alone. |
† b. In various fig. uses of ‘weight’: Gravity, importance; burden (of blame, punishment, responsibility); steadying weight, ‘ballast’. Obs.
| c 1470 Henry Wallace viii. 1441 All the haill pa[i]ss [v.rr. pes, pais] apon him selff he sal tak. c 1470 Henryson Fables xii. (Wolf & Lamb) viii. (Bann. MS.), Off his awin deid ilk man salbeir the paiss. c 1500 Three Kings Sons 100 He thought the matier was of grete peyce, wherfore he wolde make no sodeyn answere. 1568 Grafton Chron. II. 621, xv. thousand men, in whom consisted the waight and peyse of the whole enterprise. 1589 Puttenham Eng. Poesie ii (Arb.) 144 Full heauie is the paise of Princes ire. 1602 Marston Antonio's Rev. ii. Prol., That with unused paize of stile and sense, We might waigh massy in judicious scale. |
† 2. Definite or specified weight; the amount that a thing weighs. Obs.
| 1382 Wyclif Jer. lii. 20 Ther was no peis [1388 weiȝte] of the bras. 1389 in Eng. Gilds (1870) 38 Candils..brennyng abouten his corps, of xij. lib. peys. 14.. in Hist. Coll. Citizen London (Camden) 106 Newe nowblys..of lasse wyght thenne was the olde nobylle by the paysse of an halpeny wyght. 1540 Rec. of Elgin (1903) 48 That the leif baksteris obserwe and keip the peis and weych[t] giffin to tham. 1610 Holland Camden's Brit. ii. 59 He tooke the peise of some of them by hand. |
| fig. c 1412 Hoccleve De Reg. Princ. 1689 Aduoutrie and periurie, and wylful slaghtre,..lik ben, and o peys þei weye. 1555 J. Proctor Hist. Wyat's Reb. 45 And thereby outweye the iuste peize of bounden duetye. |
† b. A definite measure of weight. Obs.
| 1419 in Fabric Rolls York Minst. (Surtees) 37 Et in iij sem' et in iij pais' albi vitri. 1552 Nottingham Rec. IV. p. xxvii, For euery peyse [of tallow] sold contrary to this [order]. |
† c. (of peise, or attrib.) Used to distinguish certain coins of special weight, as distinguished from others of the same name but lighter. Obs.
| 1451 Sc. Acts Jas. II (1814) II. 40/1 Þe Inglis new noble callit of paise sal haif cours þan for xiijs. iiijd. 1456 Ibid. 46/1 Þe henry Ingliss noble of paiss. 1463 in Bury Wills (Camden) 35, I..beqwethe to Seynt Edmond and his schryne my hevy peys noble, wich weyeth xxs. 1469 in Somerset Medieval Wills (1901) 215, 20s. of peise grotes. |
3. concr. A weight; a piece or lump of some heavy substance used in some way on account of its weight; spec. (a) a standard weight by which to weigh goods; (b) one of the weights of a clock, by which its mechanism is moved. Now dial.
| 1303 R. Brunne Handl. Synne 5949 Fals peys and fals mesure. 13.. K. Alis. 1620 (Bodl. MS.) Wiþ peises [v.r. peys] stones and Gauelok Her fon hij gynnen fast to knok. Ibid. 1630 Summe wiþ peys was to ffrussht Summe wiþ gauelok to deþ lussht. 1377 Langl. P. Pl. B. xiii. 246, I hadde neuer,..ȝut of þe popis ȝifte Saue a pardoun with a peys of led. c 1430 Lydg. Min. Poems (Percy Soc.) 246 Lyk an horloge whan the peys is goo. c 1440 Promp. Parv. 390/1 Peys of a welle, telo, in K. kyptre (ciconia). 1479 Yation Churchw. Acc. (Som. Rec. Soc.) 113 Makyng of the peysys of ledde upon the belowys. 15.. Aberdeen Regr. (Jam.), To wend [wind] the peassis thairof [of the clock]. 1600 R. Cawdrey Treasurie 60 A Clocke can neuer stand still from running, so long as the peases and plummets doo hang thereat. 1637 Rutherford Lett. i. cxxxi. (1664) 255 The wheels, paces and motions of this poor Church. 1670–90 in Edgar Old Ch. Life Scotl. (1885) 35 [Getting cords for the] paizes. 1880 W. Cornw. Gloss., Paysen, peizen, weights. |
† b. fig. Obs.
| c 1380 Wyclif Serm. Sel. Wks. II. 321 Þe peys of Goddis riȝt mut nedis wey after mennys werkes. c 1412 Hoccleve De Reg. Princ. 60 Best is I stryue nat Agayne the pays [v.r. peys] of fortunes balaunce. 1642 Rogers Naaman 208 The peize and weight which this carnall world hangs upon a Religion of form. |
† 4. Forcible impact, as of a heavy body; momentum, impetus; a heavy blow or fall. Obs.
| c 1489 Caxton Blanchardyn lii. 201 Alle at one peyse cam and spored their horses nyghe vnto the ooste of Subyon. 1493 Festivall (W. de W. 1515) 35 With a grete peyse they let the crosse and the body fall downe togyder in to the mortesse. 1590 Spenser F.Q. iii. ii. 20 He [Ptolemy] with a peaze it [the glass tower] brake. 1602 Marston Antonio's Rev. v. i, That she may fal with a more waightie paise. |
5. Balance, poise, equilibrium; suspense; the act of balancing or holding poised. Now dial.
| a 1400–50 Alexander 3260 Houande here a hand-qwile and hingand in payse [Dubl. MS. on payse]. 1601 R. Johnson Kingd. & Commw. (1603) 263 Their forces may..bee saide to be ballanced with a just and equall peyze. 1609 Ev. Woman in Hum. ii. i. in Bullen O. Pl. IV, Let your faire hand be beame unto the ballance And with a stedded peyze lift up that beame. 1867 Rock Jim an' Nell xxx. (E.D.D.), I've lost ma paise. |
▪ II. peise, v. Obs. exc. dial.
(peɪz, piːz)
Forms: 4–7 peise, peyse, payse, 5 peysse, 5–6 pase, 5–7 paise, 6 payze, (peace), Sc. paisse, 6–7 peize, peyze, pease, paize, 7 peiz, peayse, peaze, pese.
[ME. peise, repr. the stem-stressed form of OF. peser (3rd sing. pres. peise) = Pr. pessar, pezar, Sp. pesar, It. pesare:—L. pensāre to weigh, freq. of pendĕre to weigh. In 14th c. OF., peise often became poise, and this vocalization was sometimes extended to the inf., etc., e.g. poiser, poisé, poisons, poiserois. Cf. the mod.Eng. form poise.]
† 1. trans. To weigh, measure the weight of, as in a balance. Also absol. Obs.
| 1362 Langl. P. Pl. A. v. 131 Þe pound þat heo peysede by. 1382 Wyclif Isa. xlvi. 6 Ȝe that..siluer with a balaunce peisen. c 1430 Lydg. Min. Poems (Percy Soc.) 190 Al my body peyssed in balaunce, Weiethe not an unce. 1571 Digges Pantom. iii. xv. S iij, It mought be paised or waighed in Ballance. 1586 Bright Melanch. xiv. 72 The ballance peaseth all kinde of waighty thinges alike. 1609 Holland Amm. Marcell. 28 To weigh and peise the mountaines. |
† b. fig. Of non-material things. Obs.
| c 1430 Lydg. Min. Poems (Percy Soc.) 179 Graunt us..Geyn our trespas gracious indulgence, Nat lik our meritis peised the qualité. a 1557 N. Grimalde Song, Prayse of Measurekepyng 18 Stands largesse iust, in egall balance payzd. 1559 Mirr. Mag., Hen. VI, x, Our wit and willing power are paysed by his will. |
c. To estimate the weight of, as by lifting or poising in the hand. In quot. 1390 with obj. cl.: to estimate or guess by doing this. Now dial.
| 1390 Gower Conf. III. 314 This Maister to the Cofre is come, He peiseth ther was somwhat in. 1539 Taverner Gard. Wysed. ii. 9 b, The seruaunt peysynge now this, nowe that boxe..at laste chase that whiche conteyned the lead. 1610 Holland Camden's Brit. i. 34 Pearles, the bignesse and weight whereof he was wont to peise and trie by his hand. 1880 Peard Mother Molly xi. 138 She had just ‘pesed’ it in her hand, and the weight was nothing. |
† 2. fig. To weigh in the mind; to deliberate upon, consider, ponder; to estimate. Obs.
| 1382 Wyclif Prov. xxi. 2 The Lord forsothe peiseth the hertis. 14.. Hoccleve Min. Poems (1892) 57 Þat he peise and weye What myn entente is. a 1548 Hall Chron., Hen. VI 145 Peisyng..the inconueniences, and harme that might fal. 1591 Sylvester Du Bartas i. ii. 1191 Lett's peiz and ponder Th' Almighties Works. 1633 P. Fletcher Purple Isl. viii. xvi, Those vaunts in balance peysing, Which farre their deeds outweigh'd. |
† 3. To place or keep in equilibrium; to hold suspended or supported; to balance, poise; also (quot. 1594), to cause to sway to and fro (like something suspended) while supported in the hand.
| 1388 Wyclif Prov. viii. 29 Whanne he peiside the foundementis of erthe. 1513 Douglas æneis v. vii. 84 Eneas Pasis thair wecht als lychtlie as a fas. 1567 Golding Ovid's Met. viii. (1593) 188 The workeman..Did peise his bodie on his wings, and in the aire on hie Hoong wauering. 1589 R. Harvey Pl. Perc. (1860) 21 She peaseth the sword of Iustice with an vprighte hand. 1594 Plat Jewell-ho. ii. 47 Hee..caused an egge to stand alone by peyzing it to and fro betweene his handes. 1633 P. Fletcher Purple Isl. ii. vii, Upon this base a curious work is rais'd,..Though soft, yet lasting, with just balance pais'd. |
† b. To bring into or hold in mutual equilibrium, as in the scales of a balance; to balance (two things) against each other, or (one thing) against another; to make equal in weight. Usually fig.
| 1450–80 tr. Secreta Secret. xx. 17 The wisdome of god peysith euenly, and ordeyneth alle thingis forto serve to his creaturis. 1601 R. Johnson Kingd. & Commw. (1603) 130 The citie of Lubecke..doth in so euen a ballance peayse the differences of these twoe nations; as it suffereth not the one to practise against the other. 1622 Malynes Anc. Law-Merch. 183 The needle, being a bodie indued with two seuerall properties, the one of Grauitie, and the other of Leuitie, which being equally peized, forceth him to abide in the Horizon. |
† c. To be of equal weight with, weigh as much as, balance, counterbalance. Obs.
| 1577 Whetstone Remembr. Gascoigne liv, You, in Ballance of deceit wil Lawyers payze, I feare with ouer waight. 1607 Middleton Family of Love ii. iv. 231 Whose want of stoare..could not peiz thvnequall scale of auarice. |
† 4. To put a weight upon, add weight to; to weight, load, burden; to weigh down; to oppress; to furnish with weights (quot. 1573). lit. and fig.
| 1422 tr. Secreta Secret., Priv. Priv. 199 He became mournynge and Sorefull and hugely hym peyset that he had god so mych y-grewid. 1525 Ld. Berners Froiss. II. clxx. [clxvi.] 497 He were worthy to peyse the gybet. 1573–4 in Swayne Sarum Churchw. Accts. (1896) 122 For ij li. of Iron to payse the clocke iiijd. 1577–87 Holinshed Chron. III. 851/2 It would helpe to peize the ballance on his side. 1594 Shakes. Rich. III, v. iii. 105 Lest leaden slumber peize me down. 1627 H. Burton Baiting Pope's Bull To Rdr. 4 The wise Pilot, that can make vse of baser earth for balasse, to peize the vessell. |
† b. intr. To press downwards by its weight.
| 1595 Spenser Col. Clout 849 The cold began to covet heat, And water fire; the light to mount on hie, And th' heavie downe to peize. |
5. trans. To drive, bear down, etc. by impact of a heavy body, or (generally) by force; to force. Now dial.
| ? a 1400 Morte Arth. 3038 Thane boldly þay buske, and bendes engynes, Payses in pylotes. Ibid. 3043 Paysede and pelid downe playsterede walles. c 1570 Durham Depos. (Surtees) 116 Thou harlott preist ! peiste thou me? I will be here when I lyst, in spite of thy teithe. |
b. To force (open, up, loose, etc.) by weight or pressure. dial.
| 1825 Brockett N.C. Gloss., Pase,..to raise, to lift up, to open with violence. 1876 Whitby Gloss. s.v., ‘Paze it loose, the lock is blunder'd’. 1894 Northumbld. Gloss., Paise, to weigh up, as with a crowbar. ‘Paise-up that flag-stone’. |
6. intr. To have weight, be of a specified weight, weigh (so much). Now dial.
| 1362 Langl. P. Pl. A. v. 131 Þ e pound þat heo peysede by peisede a quartrun more þen myn Auncel dude. 1390 Gower Conf. II. 135 Hou that it peiseth Above al other metall most. c 1430 Lydg. Min. Poems (Percy Soc.) 160 A purs that peiseth lihte. a 1470 Tiptoft Cæsar xii. (1530) 15 Litell ryngys of yren paysing a certayn weyght. 1583 Stubbes Anat. Abus. ii. (1882) 28 To vse sinister meanes to make it pease well in waight. 1882 Reports Provinc. 19 (E.D.D.) This will paze more than you think. |
† b. intr. To press heavily, to weigh. Obs.
| c 1450 Merlin 37 When thei fele that the werke peyseth hevy vpon them. |
Hence peised ppl. a.; ˈpeising vbl. n. and ppl. a.
| 1382 Wyclif Eccl. vi. 15 Peising of gold and of siluer. 1513 Douglas æneis viii. v. 11 Furth of plaitis gret Wyth paissit flesche plenist the altaris large [L. cumulantque oneratis lancibus aras]. 1602 Marston Antonio's Rev. i. v, Whose well pais'd action ever rests upon, Not giddie humours, but discretion. a 1628 F. Grevil Mustapha Chorus i, Wks. (1633) 95 As equall peising liberality. |
▪ III. peise
obs. form of peace, pease, piece.