Pose

Pronunciation

• UK IPA: /pəʊz/
• Rhymes: -əʊz

From Middle English pose, from Old English Ä¡eposu ("cold in the head; catarrh").

Full definition of pose

Noun

1. (obsolete) common cold, head cold; catarrh

From Middle English posen, from Old French poser ("to put, place, stell, settle, lodge"), from Vulgar Latin pausare ("to blin, cease, pause"), from Latin pausa ("pause"), from Ancient Greek παῦσις (pausis); influenced by Latin ponere.

Verb

1. (transitive) To place in an attitude or fixed position, for the sake of effect.To pose a model for a picture.
2. (transitive) Ask; set (a test, quiz, riddle, etc.).
3. (transitive) To constitute (a danger, a threat, a risk, etc.).
• 2010, Noam Chomsky, The Iranian threat, Z Magazine, vol 23, number 7:Rather, they are concerned with the threat Iran poses to the region and the world.
• 2011, September 2, Phil McNulty, Bulgaria 0-3 England, Rooney's United team-mate Chris Smalling was given his debut at right-back and was able to adjust to the international stage in relatively relaxed fashion as Bulgaria barely posed a threat of any consequence.
4. (intransitive) Assume or maintain a pose; strike an attitude.
• ThackerayHe ... posed before her as a hero.
5. (obsolete, transitive) To interrogate; to question.
• Francis BaconShe ... posed him and sifted him.
6. (obsolete, transitive) To question with a view to puzzling; to embarrass by questioning or scrutiny; to bring to a stand.
• BarrowA question wherewith a learned Pharisee thought to pose and puzzle him.

Noun

1. Position, posture, arrangement (especially of the human body).
   Please adopt a more graceful pose for my camera.
• 1898, Winston Churchill, The Celebrity Chapter 5, Then came a maid with hand-bag and shawls, and after her a tall young lady. She stood for a moment holding her skirt above the grimy steps, with something of the stately pose which Richter has given his Queen Louise on the stairway,....
2. Affectation.

Derived terms

• posable

Related terms

From Middle English posen, a combination of aphetic forms of Middle English aposen and opposen. More at appose, oppose.

Alternative forms

• poze

Verb

1. (obsolete) To ask (someone) questions; to interrogate.
• 1526, William Tyndale, trans. Bible, Luke II:And hit fortuned that after .iii. dayes, they founde hym in the temple sittinge in the middes of the doctours, both hearynge them, and posinge them.
2. (now rare) to puzzle, non-plus, or embarrass with difficult questions.
3. (now rare) To perplex or confuse (someone).

Derived terms

• poser

Anagrams

• opes, peso, poes