counterpoise
/ˈkaʊntə(ɹ)ˌpɔɪz/
counterpoise noun: a weight sufficient to balance another, for example in the opposite end of scales; an equal weight.
Noun
counterpoise (plural counterpoises)
- A weight sufficient to balance another, for example in the opposite end of scales; an equal weight.
- An effect of equal power or force acting in opposition; a force sufficient to balance another force or influence
- This necessary counterpoise, the affectionate and simple-minded will readily conceive, would arise to Louisa from the absence of those "dear familiar faces" which had hitherto constituted her world.1838 (date written), L[etitia] E[lizabeth] L[andon], chapter XVI, in Lady Anne Granard; or, Keeping up Appearances. […], volume I, London: Henry Colburn, […], published 1842, →OCLC, page 200
- The relation of two weights or forces which balance each other; equilibrium
- Synonyms:
- equiponderance
Verb
counterpoise (third-person singular simple present counterpoises, present participle counterpoising, simple past and past participle counterpoised)
- To act against with equal weight; to equal in weight; to balance the weight of; to counterbalance.
- Weights, counterpoising one another.1644, Kenelme [i.e., Kenelm] Digby, Two Treatises. In the One of which, the Nature of Bodies; in the Other, the Nature of Mans Soule; is Looked into: In Way of Discovery, of the Immortality of...
- To act against with equal power; to balance.
- So many freeholders of English […]will be able to beard, and to counterpoise the rest.1596 (date written; published 1633), Edmund Spenser, A Vewe of the Present State of Irelande […], Dublin: […] Societie of Stationers, […], →OCLC; republished as A View of the State of Ireland […]...
counterpoise meaning in Tamil, Urdu, Bengali and Kannada
counterpoise in Tamil
- சமன் செய், சமன்செய்தல், ஈட்டுநிறை, எதிரீடுசெய்தல், ஈடுசெய், ஈடுசெய்தல்
counterpoise in Urdu
- دھڑا, پاسنگ, توازن, بااثر مقابلہ کرنا
counterpoise in Bengali
- সমান ওজন, সাম্যাবস্থা, ওজনে সমান হওয়া, ওজনের ভারসাম্য রক্ষা করা, ভারসাম্য রক্ষা করা, ভারসাম্য বজায় রাখা
counterpoise in Kannada
- ಸಮಸ್ಥಿತಿ, ಸಮತೋಲನ
More languagesFewer languages
- counterpoise in Punjabi
- پاسکو pāskū
Synonyms of counterpoise
Forms of counterpoise
| Noun | |
|---|---|
| plural | counterpoises |
| Verb | |
| third-person singular present | counterpoises |
| present participle | counterpoising |
| past participle | counterpoised |
| past | counterpoised |
Origin of counterpoise
From Old French contrepois, contrepeser, later assimilated to poise.
Words formed from counterpoise
Questions about counterpoise
- What does counterpoise mean?
- Counterpoise means a weight sufficient to balance another, for example in the opposite end of scales; an equal weight.
- What is counterpoise in Tamil?
- Counterpoise in Tamil is சமன் செய், சமன்செய்தல், ஈட்டுநிறை. See Counterpoise meaning in Tamil.
- What part of speech is counterpoise?
- Counterpoise can be a noun or a verb.
- How do you pronounce counterpoise?
- Counterpoise is pronounced /ˈkaʊntə(ɹ)ˌpɔɪz/.
- What is the plural of counterpoise?
- The plural of counterpoise is counterpoises.
Words near counterpoise in the dictionary
Source and license
Adapted from Wiktionary: counterpoise (page history and authors); counterpoise (Tamil Wiktionary) (page history and authors); counterpoise (Urdu Wiktionary) (page history and authors); counterpoise (Bengali Wiktionary) (page history and authors); counterpoise (Kannada Wiktionary) (page history and authors); پاسکو (Punjabi) (page history and authors). Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws reformatted the entry and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.
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Pronunciation audio from Wikimedia Commons, each file under its own free license: LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-counterpoise.wav.
Cite this entry: “counterpoise.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/counterpoise. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.