▪ I. counterpoise, n.
(ˈkaʊntəpɔɪz)
Forms: α. 5 cowntyrpeyce, -peys, countrepeis, 6–7 counterpeiz(e, -peyse, -peyze, -pease, -peaze; 5 countrepase, counterpais, 6 -payse; β. 5 (? cowntyrpoys), 6–7 counterpoyse, 6–8 -poize, 6– -poise.
[ME. a. OF. countrepeis, -pais = Central F. contrepois (now -poids), f. contre- against + peis, pois:—L. pensum weight. The original OF. ei, which became in Parisian in 13th c. oi, was retained in Northern French, and gave ei, ai in Anglo-French and English; but towards 1600 the latter adopted the contemporary continental Fr. oi.]
1. A weight which balances another weight, or acts against a force, so as to establish equilibrium; an equal or counterbalancing weight.
| α c 1430 Lydg. Min. Poems 50 (Halliw.) The countre⁓pase was light. c 1440 Promp. Parv. 99 Cowyntyrpeyce [K. -peys, 1499 Pynson -poys], hostimentum, libramentum. 1530 Palsgr. 209/2 Counterpayse, contrepoys. 1580 Hollyband Treas. Fr. Tong, Contrepois, a counterpease. |
| β 1598 Florio, Marchio della stadera, a counterpoise, anie thing put in the ballances or scales to make euen waight. 1660 Boyle New Exp. Phys. Mech. xxxiv. 259 We put a Metalline counterpoise into the opposite Scale. 1793 Smeaton Edystone L. 195 These..are of the same weight, and therefore a counterpoize to each other. 1824 R. Stuart Hist. Steam Engine 143 The counterpoise at the other end of the lever-beam raises the pistons to the top of their respective cylinders. 1868 Lockyer Elem. Astron. 250 Wheels and counterpoises..to facilitate the raising of the telescope when the collimators..are examined. |
2. transf. and
fig. a. Something of equivalent force, effect, or weight on the opposite side; that which serves as a counter-balance or set-off.
| α c 1430 Pilgr. Lyf Manhode iv. xlix. (1869) 199 Þat j shal fynde in þis place countrepeis and equipollence of þe hegge of penitence. 1585 Parsons Chr. Exerc. ii. iii. 290 The greeuous counterpeaze of discontentmentes, that euerie worldly plesure hath with it. a 1628 F. Greville Sidney (1652) 27 A Protestant party, rais'd..to be a ballance or counterpease to that dangerous Heptarchy of Spain. |
| β 1580 North Plutarch (1676) 137 Who..put (as a man will say) a counterpoise into the ballance. 1625 Bacon Ess., Empire (Arb.) 307 Their Second Nobles..are a Counterpoize to the Higher Nobility, that they grow not too Potent. 1684 Contempl. State of Man i. ii. (1699) 21 There is no felicity upon Earth which carries not its counterpoise of Misfortunes. 1719 Young Revenge ii. i, O jealousy..thou grand counterpoize For all the transports beauty can inspire! 1859 Mill Liberty iii. (1865) 39/1 The counterpoise and corrective to that tendency. 1863 Geo. Eliot Romola i. ix, There was no counterpoise or rival to Politian. |
† b. A compensation, equivalent.
Obs.| 1590 Greene Mourn. Garm. Ded. (1616) 3 If your Honour shall but..partly like it, the end of my labours [shall] haue a condigne counterpoise. 1601 Shakes. All's Well ii. iii. 182 Tell her she is thine: to whom I promise A counterpoize, if not to thy estate A ballance more repleat. |
c. Electr. Engineering. (
i) A network of wires placed just above the ground and insulated from it, and connected to an aerial in place of or in conjunction with an earth connection.
| 1907 J. Erskine-Murray Handbk. Wireless Telegr. xx. 293 In place of using a direct earth connection..it is better to employ an electrical counterpoise, i.e., a conductor of considerable area, near the earth. 1940 Amateur Radio Handbk. (ed. 2) xii. 176 An earth connection is usually of high resistance, and to overcome the loss of efficiency due to this..a counterpoise is employed. 1971 M. G. Scroggie Found. Wireless & Electronics xvii. 285 It is a common practice to connect the lower end of the aerial to a radial system of copper wires. An insulated set of wires stretched just above the ground is known as a counterpoise. |
(
ii) A conductor or network of conductors buried in the ground and connected to an electricity pylon in order to reduce the risk of flash-overs caused by lightning.
| 1930 Trans. Amer. Inst. Electr. Engineers XLIX. 935/1 The method of using a buried footing tie or ‘counterpoise’ is of interest as the action of such a cable is unlike that of a ground concentrated at one point. Ibid., This analysis considers the cable only as a path to ground and neglects any ‘counterpoise’ effect. 1957 Encycl. Brit. XIV. 116/1 Towers equipped with 2 overhead ground wires and using a continuous tower-to-tower counterpoise had no flashovers in 10 yr. 1968 Fink & Carroll Stand. Handbk. Electr. Engin. (ed. 10) xxvi. 19 It is the usual practice to bury the radial counterpoise parallel with the transmission line conductors and within the right of way. |
3. a. The state of being balanced; equilibrium.
| α 1594 Plat Jewell-ho. iii. 61 If there be a true counterpeize giuen to a short tallow candle. 1602 Carew Cornwall (1723) 151 b, With so equall a counterpeyze, that the push of a finger will sensibly moue it too and fro. |
| β 1591 Sylvester Du Bartas i. iii. 415 All Climats then should not be serv'd aright With equall Counterpoiz of day and night. 1664 Power Exp. Philos. ii. 105 After a few vibrations up and down..they arrive at a Counterpoise. 1667 Milton P.L. iv. 1001 The pendulous round Earth with ballanc't Aire In counterpoise. |
b. fig.| 1645 Milton Tetrach. (1851) 222 Others coming without authority from God, shall change this counterpoise. 1835 I. Taylor Spir. Despot. ii. 38 These..antagonistic principles are in a state of doubtful counterpoise throughout Christendom. 1856 Emerson Eng. Traits, Lit. Wks. II. 115 The..two styles of mind..are ever in counterpoise. |
c. In the
manége: The due balance and equilibrium of a rider in his seat.
| 1727 in Bailey (vol. II). |
4. attrib.| 1469 Plumpton Corr. 21 A counterpais wheith of the wheight stone that the wooll was weyed with. 1765 Ludlam in Phil. Trans. LV. 208 Before the counterpoise steel pin and loop are put on. |
▪ II. counterpoise, v. (
ˈkaʊntəpɔɪz)
Forms: α. 4–5
countrepese,
-peyse, 4–7
counterpeise,
-peyse, 5
contrepeyse,
counterpeyce, 6
contrepece,
counterpease,
-peaze,
conterpace,
conturpayse, 6–7
counterpaise,
-payse; β. 5–7
counterpoys(e, 7
-poize,
-poyze, 6–
counterpoise.
[ME. countrepese, -peise, a. OF. contrepeser (pres. sing. orig. peise); in 16–17th c. assimilated to the n. with -poise.] 1. trans. To balance by a weight on the opposite side or acting in opposition; to counterbalance:
a. of the thing;
b. of persons or agents.
| α 1566 Drant Horace's Sat. i. vii. F iij, Simo may..have not giftes, or qualities, to counterpeyse a straw. 1577 Harrison England ii. xxv. (1877) i. 361 One shilling of siluer in those daies did counterpeise our common ounce. |
| β 1596 Spenser F.Q. v. ii. 30 That all the world he would weigh equallie, If ought he had the same to counterpoys. 1596 Nashe Saffron Walden 42 It [the book] counterpoyseth a Cade of Herring, and three Holland Cheeses. 1664 Power Exp. Philos. iii. 177 We counterpoiz'd both it and the thread with a weight in the other Scale. 1794 G. Adams Nat. & Exp. Philos. I. iii. 71 The pressure upwards is thus counterpoised by the mercury in the tube. 1846 Joyce Sci. Dial. xiii. 168 A piece of lead is made to counterpoise the bottle. |
† c. To put as an equivalent.
Obs. rare.
| 1613 Sylvester Little Bartas Wks. II. 88/378 If sometimes som truth they chance to hit They'll counterpoiz a hundred lies for it. |
2. transf. and
fig. To balance in power, quality, or effect; to be, or furnish, an equivalent for; to counterbalance, compensate.
| α c 1374 Chaucer Troylus iii. 1358 For to recoueren blisse and ben at ese And passed wo with ioie countrepese [v.r. -peyse]. 1393 Gower Conf. III. 190 Pite may nought be counterpeised Of tirannie with no peise. 1530 Rastell Bk. Purgat. iii. xiii, Not suffycyent sorowe to counterpeyse the pleasure. 1602 T. Fitzherbert Apol. 9 a, With the shewe of some plausible seruice, to counterpeyse the offences he had committed. |
| β 1586 T. B. La Primaud. Fr. Acad. i. (1594) 58 Even the greatest worldly happines is counterpoised with evill. 1607 T. Walkington Opt. Glass x. (1664) 117 Their rare Qualities..do more than counterpoize this Natural fault. c 1630 Risdon Surv. Devon (1714) I. 67 Let my Labour counterpoise your Patience. 1738 Fielding Conversation Wks. 1784 IX. 379 A weakness which may counterpoise this merit. 1856 Froude Hist. Eng. I. 345 [More] had attempted to counterpoise the attack upon the church by destroying the unhappy protestants. |
† 3. intr. To be equiponderant, act as a counterbalance (
to,
with,
against).
Obs.| α c 1430 Lydg. Bochas i. x. (1544) 22 a, If any sorowe or mischiefs unrecured May counterpeyce to that I haue indured. 1521 Fisher Wks. i. (1876) 321 Yf all these so many testymonyes..shall not counterpease agaynst one frere. 1561 T. Norton Calvin's Inst. iii. iv. 201 Such a bitternesse of sorrow..as may in balaunce counterpaise with the trust of pardon. |
4. trans. To bring into or keep in a state of equilibrium.
lit. and
fig.| 1393 Gower Conf. III. 135 Whiche is a thing full necessaire To counterpeise the balaunce. 1575 Turberv. Venerie 92 My doctor brings his drugs to counterpaise all quarrels. 1621–51 Burton Anat. Mel. iii. iv. i. i. (1651) 639 This makes us happy, counterpoising our hearts in all miserie. 1635 N. Carpenter Geog. Del. i. iv. 74 No man can imagine how the parts of the Earth about the Center should alwayes be equally counterpoyzed. 1860 Maury Phys. Geog. Sea v. §290 The exquisite compensation of this grand machine, the atmosphere. It is exquisitely and wonderfully counterpoised. |
5. a. To weigh (a thing)
with,
i.e. against (another), in order to ascertain their relative values.
| 1685 Cotton tr. Montaigne (1877) I. 75 He renders himself unworthy of it who will counterpoise its cost with its fruit. 1795 Southey Joan of Arc viii. 498 Who in the deceitful scales Of worldly wisdom, dare to counterpoise The right with the expedient. |
† b. To weigh mentally; to balance opposite considerations in one's mind; to consider or ponder carefully. Also
absol. Obs.| c 1477 Caxton Jason 113 b, And after [she] began to think and contrepeyse in her mynde in dyuerce maners. c 1500 Sc. Poem Heraldry 191 in Q. Eliz. Acad. 100 Quha will study his wittis, and conterpace The hie planetis, and signis of the aire. 1685 Gracian's Courtiers Orac. 300 He acts with circumspection. He is a Janus in counterpoising, and an Argus in discerning. |
Hence
ˈcounterpoised ppl. a.;
ˈcounterpoising vbl. n. and ppl. a.| c 1477 Caxton Jason 72 Nomore seche weyes so contre⁓peysed. 1625 K. Long tr. Barclay's Argenis iii. xviii. 208 Held firme with a counter-poised weight. 1653 Rouse Myst. Marr. 316 The soul is kept in an evenness..by reason of the counterpoising consolations. 1836 I. Taylor Phys. Th. another Life (1857) 189 Some counterpoised statements. 1878 F. Harrison in Fortn. Rev. Nov. 701 The doctrine of right becomes..a network of qualifications, counterpoising duties, and compensations. |