Толковый словарь английского языка Oxford English Reference - poise

1. n. & v. --n. 1 composure or self-possession of manner. 2 equilibrium; a stable state. 3 carriage (of the head etc.). --v. 1 tr. balance; hold suspended or supported. 2 tr. carry (one's head etc. in a specified way). 3 intr. be balanced; hover in the air etc. Etymology: ME f. OF pois, peis, peser ult. f. L pensum weight f. pendere pens- weigh 2. n. Physics a unit of dynamic viscosity, such that a tangential force of one dyne per square centimetre causes a velocity change one centimetre per second between two parallel planes in a liquid separated by one centimetre. Etymology: J. L. M. Poiseuille, Fr. physician d. 1869