to assume a particular attitude or stance, esp. with the hope of impressing others: He likes to pose as an authority on literature.
2.
to present oneself insincerely: He seems to be posing in all his behavior.
3.
to assume or hold a physical attitude, as for an artistic purpose: to pose for a painter.
–verb (used with object)
4.
to place in a suitable position or attitude for a picture, tableau, or the like: to pose a group for a photograph.
5.
to assert, state, or put forward: That poses a difficult problem.
6.
to put or place.
–noun
7.
a bodily attitude or posture: Her pose had a note of defiance in it.
8.
a mental attitude or posture: a pose cultivated by the upper classes.
9.
the act or period of posing, as for a picture.
10.
a position or attitude assumed in posing, or exhibited by a figure in a picture, sculptural work, tableau, or the like.
11.
a moment in which a dancer remains motionless, usually in an assumed posture.
12.
a studied attitude; affectation: His liberalism is merely a pose.
[Origin: 1325–75; (v.) ME posen < MF poser < LL pausāre to stop, cease, rest, deriv. of L pausapause; F poser has taken over the basic sense of L pōnere “to put, place” and represents it in F borrowings of its prefixed derivatives (see compose, depose, etc.), prob. reinforced by the accidental resemblance of poser to positum, ptp. of pōnere; (n.) deriv. of the v.]
a movement in which the dancer steps, in any desired position, from one foot to the other with a straight knee onto the flat foot, demi-pointe, or pointe.
[Origin: 1925–30; < F: poised, ptp. of poser to pose; see pose1]
To assume or hold a particular position or posture, as in sitting for a portrait.
To affect a particular mental attitude.
To represent oneself falsely; pretend to be other than what one is.
v.
tr.
To place (a model, for example) in a specific position.
To set forth in words; propound: pose a question.
To put forward; present: pose a threat. See Synonyms at propose.
n.
A bodily attitude or position, especially one assumed for an artist or a photographer. See Synonyms at posture.
A studied attitude assumed for effect. See Synonyms at affectation.
[Middle English posen, to place, from Old French poser, from Vulgar Latin *pausāre, from Late Latin pausāre, to rest, from Latin pausa, pause; see pause.]
[Short for appose, to examine closely (from Middle English apposen, alteration of opposen; see oppose) and from French poser, to assume (obsolete) (from Old French; see pose1).]
"put in a certain position," c.1374, "suggest, propose, suppose, assume," from O.Fr. poser "put, place, propose," a term in debating, from L.L. pausare "to halt, rest, pause" (see pause). The O.Fr. verb acquired the sense of L. ponere "to put, place," by confusion of the similar stems. Sense of "to assume a certain attitude" is from 1850; the trans. sense (as an artist's model, etc.) is from 1859. The noun meaning "act of posing the body" is from 1818; its sense of "attitudinize" is from 1840. Poser "one who practices an affected attitude" is from 1881; revived in teen-ager slang 1980s.
"to puzzle, confuse, perplex," 1593, earlier "question, interrogate" (1526), probably from M.Fr. poser "suppose, assume," from O.Fr. poser (see pose (v.1)). Also in some cases a shortening of Eng. appose "examine closely," and oppose.Poser "question that puzzles" is from 1793.
affected manners intended to impress others; "don't put on airs with me" [syn: airs]
2.
a posture assumed by models for photographic or artistic purposes
3.
a deliberate pretense or exaggerated display [syn: affectation]
verb
1.
introduce; "This poses an interesting question" [syn: present]
2.
assume a posture as for artistic purposes; "We don't know the woman who posed for Leonardo so often" [syn: model]
3.
pretend to be someone you are not; sometimes with fraudulent intentions; "She posed as the Czar's daughter"
4.
behave affectedly or unnaturally in order to impress others; "Don't pay any attention to him--he is always posing to impress his peers!"; "She postured and made a total fool of herself"
5.
put into a certain place or abstract location; "Put your things here"; "Set the tray down"; "Set the dogs on the scent of the missing children"; "Place emphasis on a certain point" [syn: put]
6.
be a mystery or bewildering to; "This beats me!"; "Got me--I don't know the answer!"; "a vexing problem"; "This question really stuck me" [syn: perplex]
Ap*pose"\, v. t. [F. apposer to set to; ? (L. ad) + poser to put, place. See Pose.]1. To place opposite or before; to put or apply (one thing to another). The nymph herself did then appose, For food and beverage, to him all best meat. --Chapman. 2. To place in juxtaposition or proximity.
Ap*pose"\, v. t. [For oppose. See Oppose.] To put questions to; to examine; to try. [Obs.] See Pose. To appose him without any accuser, and that secretly. --Tyndale.
Com*pose"\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Composed; p. pr. & vb. n. Composing.] [F. composer; com- + poser to place. The sense is that of L. componere, but the origin is different. See Pose, v. t.]1. To form by putting together two or more things or parts; to put together; to make up; to fashion. Zeal ought to be composed of the highest degrees of all pious affection. --Bp. Sprat. 2. To form the substance of, or part of the substance of; to constitute. Their borrowed gold composed The calf in Oreb. --Milton. A few useful things . . . compose their intellectual possessions. --I. Watts. 3. To construct by mental labor; to design and execute, or put together, in a manner involving the adaptation of forms of expression to ideas, or to the laws of harmony or proportion; as, to compose a sentence, a sermon, a symphony, or a picture. Let me compose Something in verse as well as prose. --Pope. The genius that composed such works as the "Standard" and "Last Supper". --B. R. Haydon. 4. To dispose in proper form; to reduce to order; to put in proper state or condition; to adjust; to regulate. In a peaceful grave my corpse compose. --Dryden. How in safety best we may Compose our present evils. --Milton. 5. To free from agitation or disturbance; to tranquilize; to soothe; to calm; to quiet. Compose thy mind; Nor frauds are here contrived, nor force designed. --Dryden. 6. (Print.) To arrange (types) in a composing stick in order for printing; to set (type).
De*pose"\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Deposed; p. pr. & vb. n. Deposing.][FF. d['e]poser, in the sense of L. deponere to put down; but from pref. d['e]- (L. de) + poser to place. See Pose, Pause.]1. To lay down; to divest one's self of; to lay aside. [Obs.] Thus when the state one Edward did depose, A greater Edward in his room arose. --Dryden. 2. To let fall; to deposit. [Obs.] Additional mud deposed upon it. --Woodward. 3. To remove from a throne or other high station; to dethrone; to divest or deprive of office. A tyrant over his subjects, and therefore worthy to be deposed. --Prynne. 4. To testify under oath; to bear testimony to; -- now usually said of bearing testimony which is officially written down for future use. --Abbott. To depose the yearly rent or valuation of lands. --Bacon. 5. To put under oath. [Obs.] Depose him in the justice of his cause. --Shak.
Dis*pose"\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Disposed; p. pr. & vb. n. Disposing.] [F. disposer; pref. dis- + poser to place. See Pose.]1. To distribute and put in place; to arrange; to set in order; as, to dispose the ships in the form of a crescent. Who hath disposed the whole world? --Job xxxiv. 13. All ranged in order and disposed with grace. --Pope. The rest themselves in troops did else dispose. --Spenser. 2. To regulate; to adjust; to settle; to determine. The knightly forms of combat to dispose. --Dryden. 3. To deal out; to assign to a use; to bestow for an object or purpose; to apply; to employ; to dispose of. Importuned him that what he designed to bestow on her funeral, he would rather dispose among the poor. --Evelyn. 4. To give a tendency or inclination to; to adapt; to cause to turn; especially, to incline the mind of; to give a bent or propension to; to incline; to make inclined; -- usually followed by to, sometimes by for before the indirect object. Endure and conquer; Jove will soon dispose To future good our past and present woes. --Dryden. Suspicions dispose kings to tyranny, husbands to jealousy, and wise men to irresolution and melancholy. --Bacon. To dispose of. (a) To determine the fate of; to exercise the power of control over; to fix the condition, application, employment, etc. of; to direct or assign for a use. Freedom to order their actions and dispose of their possessions and persons. --Locke. (b) To exercise finally one's power of control over; to pass over into the control of some one else, as by selling; to alienate; to part with; to relinquish; to get rid of; as, to dispose of a house; to dispose of one's time. More water . . . than can be disposed of. --T. Burnet. I have disposed of her to a man of business. --Tatler. A rural judge disposed of beauty's prize. --Waller. Syn: To set; arrange; order; distribute; adjust; regulate; adapt; fit; incline; bestow; give.
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