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<HTML> <HEAD><TITLE>DICTIONARY: point d'appui - poised</TITLE></HEAD> <BODY BGCOLOR="#ffffff"> <A HREF="a.dic">A</A> <A HREF="b.dic">B</A> <A HREF="c.dic">C</A> <A HREF="d.dic">D</A> <A HREF="e.dic">E</A> <A HREF="f.dic">F</A> <A HREF="g.dic">G</A> <A HREF="h.dic">H</A> <A HREF="i.dic">I</A> <A HREF="j.dic">J</A> <A HREF="k.dic">K</A> <A HREF="l.dic">L</A> <A HREF="m.dic">M</A> <A HREF="n.dic">N</A> <A HREF="o.dic">O</A> <A HREF="p.dic">P</A> <A HREF="q.dic">Q</A> <A HREF="r.dic">R</A> <A HREF="s.dic">S</A> <A HREF="t.dic">T</A> <A HREF="u.dic">U</A> <A HREF="v.dic">V</A> <A HREF="w.dic">W</A> <A HREF="x.dic">X</A> <A HREF="y.dic">Y</A> <A HREF="z.dic">Z</A> <A NAME="pointdappui"> point d'appui,<DL COMPACT><DD> (French.) <DD> 1. a secure position serving as a base for operations, as in war or diplomacy. <DD> 2. (literally) point of support. </DL> <A NAME="pointdesprit"> point d'esprit,<DL COMPACT><DD> (French.) <DD> 1. a net fabric with dots woven into it singly or in groups. <DD> 2. (literally) lace of spirit. </DL> <A NAME="pointdevice"> point-device, point-devise or point-devyse, adjective, adverb.<DL COMPACT><DD> (Archaic.) <DD>adj. 1. perfect; precise. <DD> 2. scrupulously nice or neat. <DD>adv. completely; perfectly; exactly. </DL> <A NAME="pointduty"> point duty,<DL COMPACT><DD> (British.) the duty of a policeman assigned to direct traffic at a point in a thoroughfare. </DL> <A NAME="pointe"> pointe, noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> (Ballet.) <DD> 1. the toe, especially (as a dancing position) the tip of the toe. <DD> 2. the reinforced toe of the ballet slipper. </DL> <A NAME="pointed"> pointed, adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> 1. having a point or points. Ex. a pointed roof. (SYN) peaked. <DD> 2. (Figurative.) sharp; piercing. Ex. a pointed wit. (SYN) keen. <DD> 3. (Figurative.) directed; aimed. Ex. a pointed remark. (SYN) leveled. <DD> 4. (Figurative.) emphatic. Ex. He showed her pointed attention. (SYN) marked. adv. pointedly. noun pointedness. </DL> <A NAME="pointedarch"> pointed arch,<DL COMPACT><DD> an arch that forms a point at the top, characteristic of the Gothic style of architecture. </DL> <A NAME="pointedfox"> pointed fox,<DL COMPACT><DD> the fur of red fox made to imitate that of silver fox, by dyeing it black and adding white or white-tipped hairs. </DL> <A NAME="pointedstyle"> pointed style,<DL COMPACT><DD> the Gothic style of architecture, characterized by pointed arches. </DL> <A NAME="pointer"> pointer, noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> 1. a person or thing that points. Ex. Most little children are great pointers until they learn the names for things. <DD> 2. a long, tapering stick used in pointing things out on a map or blackboard. Ex. The teacher picked up the pointer and showed us Ireland on the map. <DD> 3. the hand of a clock, compass, meter, or the like. Ex. The pointer of the speedometer showed we were going 30 miles per hour. <DD> 4. short-haired hunting dog with a smooth coat. A pointer is trained to show where game is by standing still with his head and body pointing toward it. <DD> 5. any one of various other hunting dogs that point at game, such as the German short-haired pointer and the wire-haired pointing griffon. <DD> 6. (Informal, Figurative.) a hint; suggestion. Ex. She gave him some pointers on improving his tennis. (SYN) tip. </DL> <A NAME="pointers"> Pointers, noun pl.<DL COMPACT><DD> two stars in the Big Dipper. A line connecting them points approximately to the North Star in the Little Dipper. </DL> <A NAME="pointful"> pointful, adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> full of point; meaningful; pertinent; apt. Ex. ... vivid and pointful in its portrayal of character (Manchester Guardian Weekly). adv. pointfully. noun pointfulness. </DL> <A NAME="pointillism"> pointillism, noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a method of painting introduced by French impressionists, producing luminous effects by laying on the colors in points or dots of unmixed color that are blended by the eye. </DL> <A NAME="pointillist"> pointillist, noun, adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD>noun an artist who follows the style of pointillism. <DD>adj. of or characteristic of pointillism. </DL> <A NAME="pointillistic"> pointillistic, adjective. =pointillist.</DL> <A NAME="pointlace"> point lace,<DL COMPACT><DD> lace made with a needle; needlepoint. </DL> <A NAME="pointlaced"> point-laced, adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> trimmed with point lace. </DL> <A NAME="pointless"> pointless, adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> 1. without a point. Ex. a pointless sword, a pointless pencil. (SYN) blunt. <DD> 2. (Figurative.) without meaning or purpose. Ex. a pointless question. (SYN) meaningless. adv. pointlessly. noun pointlessness. </DL> <A NAME="pointman"> point man,<DL COMPACT><DD> 1. (U.S. Military.) the man on the point of a patrol. <DD> 2. (Hockey.) an attacking defense player whose main job is to keep the puck in the attacking zone. </DL> <A NAME="pointofaim"> point-of-aim, noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a point below the spot on the target which an archer wants to hit. </DL> <A NAME="pointoffusion"> point of fusion, =melting point.</DL> <A NAME="pointofhonor"> point of honor,<DL COMPACT><DD> a matter that affects a person's honor, principles, sense of duty, or the like. </DL> <A NAME="pointofnoreturn"> point of no return,<DL COMPACT><DD> 1. the point in the flight of an aircraft at which it is safer to proceed than to turn back. Ex. We also figure out the point of no return--the point beyond which we wouldn't have enough gas to turn around and get back (New Yorker). <DD> 2. (Figurative.) a point reached in a course beyond which it is no longer possible to reverse or turn back to an earlier condition. Ex. The majority of the children have passed the dreaded "point of no return," in this case medical phraseology for a victim of malnutrition who has become so dehydrated that death is only a matter of time (New York Times). </DL> <A NAME="pointoforder"> point of order,<DL COMPACT><DD> a question raised as to whether proceedings are according to the rules. </DL> <A NAME="pointofsale"> point-of-sale, adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> of or having to do with a computerized system of recording sales information when a sale is made. Ex. The records are maintained inside the computer and are continuously updated by the point-of-sale information (John R. Rice). </DL> <A NAME="pointoftangency"> point of tangency,<DL COMPACT><DD> (Geometry.) the point where a straight line touches a circle. </DL> <A NAME="pointofview"> point of view,<DL COMPACT><DD> 1. the position from which one looks at something. Ex. a distant point of view. <DD> 2. (Figurative.) an attitude of mind. Ex. a stubborn point of view. Farmers and campers have different points of view toward rain. </DL> <A NAME="pointsofthecompass"> points of the compass,<DL COMPACT><DD> the 32 directions marked on a compass. North, south, east, and west are the four main, or cardinal, points of the compass. </DL> <A NAME="pointsource"> point source,<DL COMPACT><DD> a source of light waves, radio waves, or other electromagnetic radiation which is so highly concentrated that it can be considered to come from a single point. </DL> <A NAME="pointsystem"> point system,<DL COMPACT><DD> 1. a system of promoting students by credits for individual subjects, rather than by the completion of a set program for each term. <DD> 2. a system of penalizing motorists for infractions of traffic rules and laws, each type of infraction carrying a certain number of penalty points. <DD> 3. a system of determining the winner of a game, race, or contest by adding up the number of points scored by each player or contestant. Point systems are often used in boxing and in motorcycle races. <DD> 4. (Printing.) a system of measuring type and leads, in which the pica body equals 12 points. <DD> 5. any of various systems of printing for the blind, as Braille, using raised dots in various combinations as symbols for letters. </DL> <A NAME="pointtopoint"> point-to-point, noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a cross-country or steeplechase horse race over a course marked by flags at the salient points. </DL> <A NAME="pointy"> pointy, adjective, pointier, pointiest.<DL COMPACT><DD> having a point; coming to a point; pointed. Ex. a small, merry-looking man with a pointy nose (New Yorker). </DL> <A NAME="poise"> poise (1), noun, verb, poised, poising.<DL COMPACT><DD>noun 1. mental balance, composure, or self-possession. Ex. She has perfect poise and never seems embarrassed. (SYN) equanimity. <DD> 2. the way in which the body, head, or other part of the body are held; carriage. Ex. the gladiatorlike poise of his small round head on his big neck and shoulders (George du Maurier). <DD> 3. state of balance; equilibrium. <DD> 4. a pause between two periods of motion or change; suspense of movement. Ex. At the poise of the flying year (Richard Watson Gilder). <DD> 5. (Figurative.) the condition of being equally balanced between alternatives; state of indecision; suspense. <DD> 6. (Obsolete.) <DD> a. the state of being heavy. <DD> b. gravity; importance. Ex. Occasions ... of some poise, Wherein we must have use of your advice (Shakespeare). <DD>v.t. 1. to balance. Ex. Poise yourself on your toes. <DD> 2. to hold or carry evenly or steadily. Ex. The waiter poised the tray on his hand. <DD> 3. (Figurative.) to consider; ponder. Ex. A thousand resolutions ... weighed, poised and perpended (Laurence Sterne). <DD> 4. (Obsolete.) to make stable, as by adding weight; ballast. <DD> 5. (Obsolete.) to weigh. <DD>v.i. 1. to be balanced or held in equilibrium. <DD> 2. to hang supported or suspended. <DD> 3. to hover, as a bird does in air. Ex. A hummingbird can poise for several moments over a single flower. </DL> <A NAME="poise"> poise (2), noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a unit of measurement of viscosity in the centimeter-gram-second system. </DL> <A NAME="poised"> poised, adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> 1. composed; self-possessed. Ex. The young lady was beautiful and poised. <DD> 2. ready; set. Ex. The army was poised for battle. </DL> <A HREF="poison.dic">NEXT</A>