Merriam-Webster Collegiate Dictionary - balance

 I. noun  Etymology: Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Vulgar Latin *bilancia, from Late Latin bilanc-, bilanx having two scalepans, from Latin bi- + lanc-, lanx plate  Date: 13th century  1. an instrument for weighing: as  a. a beam that is supported freely in the center and has two pans of equal weight suspended from its ends  b. a device that uses the elasticity of a spiral spring for measuring weight or force  2. a means of judging or deciding  3. a counterbalancing weight, force, or influence  4. an oscillating wheel operating with a hairspring to regulate the movement of a timepiece  5.  a. stability produced by even distribution of weight on each side of the vertical axis  b. equipoise between contrasting, opposing, or interacting elements  c. equality between the totals of the two sides of an account  6.  a. an aesthetically pleasing integration of elements  b. the juxtaposition in writing of syntactically parallel constructions containing similar or contrasting ideas  7.  a. physical equilibrium  b. the ability to retain one's ~  8.  a. weight or force of one side in excess of another  b. something left over ; remainder  c. an amount in excess especially on the credit side of an account  9. mental and emotional steadiness  • ~d adjective  II. verb  (~d; balancing)  Date: 1588  transitive verb  1.  a.  (1) to compute the difference between the debits and credits of (an account)  (2) to pay the amount due on ; settle  b.  (1) to arrange so that one set of elements exactly equals another ~ a mathematical equation  (2) to complete (a chemical equation) so that the same number of atoms and electric charges of each kind appears on each side  2.  a. counter~, offset  b. to equal or equalize in weight, number, or proportion  3. to weigh in or as if in a ~  4.  a. to bring to a state or position of equipoise  b. to poise in or as if in ~  c. to bring into harmony or proportion  intransitive verb  1. to become ~d or established in ~  2. to be an equal counterpoise  3. waver 1 ~s and temporizes on matters that demand action