pose

See also: posé, Pose, and pøse

English

Pronunciation

• (General American) IPA^(key): /poʊz/
• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /pəʊz/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -əʊz

Etymology 1

From Middle English pose, from Old English ġeposu pl (“cold in the head; catarrh”, literally “(the) sneezes; (the) snorts”), from Old English pos, ġepos (“sneeze, snort”), from Proto-West Germanic *pos, from Proto-Germanic *pusą (“sneeze, snort”), from Proto-Germanic *pusōną, *pusjaną (“to snort, blow”), from Proto-Indo-European *bew- (“to blow, swell”). Compare Low German pusten (“to blow, puff”), German dialectal pfausen (“to sneeze, snort”), Norwegian dialectal pysa (“to blow”).

Noun

pose (plural poses)

1. (archaic) Common cold, head cold; catarrh.
   • 1586, William Harrison, Description of England:

     Now […] have we many chimnies, and yet our tenderlings complain of rheums, catarrhs, and poses.

   • 1825, Robert Herrick, The poetical works of Robert Herrick:

     Megg yesterday was troubled with a pose, Which, this night hardned, sodders up her nose.

   • 1903, Thomas Heywood, Lucian (of Samosata.), Desiderius Erasmus, Pleasant Dialogues and Dramma's:

     The Ague, Cough, the Pyony, the Pose. Aches within, and accidents without, [...]

   • 2009, Eucharius Rösslin, Thomas Raynalde, Elaine Hobby, The Birth of Mankind:

     And whereas some say, that they which use oft washing of their heads shall be very prone to headache, that is not true, but only in such that, after they have been washed, roll up their hair (being yet wet) about their heads; the cold whereof is dangerous to bring them to catarrhs and poses, with other inconveniences.

Etymology 2

From Middle English posen, from Old French poser (“to put, place, stell, settle, lodge”), from Vulgar Latin pausāre (“to blin, cease, pause”), from Latin pausa (“pause”), from Ancient Greek παῦσις (paûsis); influenced by Latin pōnere. Doublet of pause.

Verb

pose (third-person singular simple present poses, present participle posing, simple past and past participle posed)

A family posing for a photo

1. (transitive) To place in an attitude or fixed position, for the sake of effect.

   To pose a model for a picture.

2. (transitive) To ask; to set (a test, quiz, riddle, etc.).
3. (transitive) To constitute (a danger, a threat, a risk, etc.).
   • 2010, Noam Chomsky, “The Iranian threat”, in Z Magazine, volume 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”, in BBC‎^[1]:

     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.

   • 2014 November 27, Ian Black, “Courts kept busy as Jordan works to crush support for Isis”, in The Guardian:

     The threat the most radical of them pose is evidently far greater at home than abroad.

4. (transitive, in the phrase "to pose as") To falsely impersonate (another person or occupation) primarily for the purpose of accomplishing something or reaching a goal.
5. (intransitive) To assume or maintain a pose; to strike an attitude.
   • 1840, W[illiam] M[akepeace] Thackeray, “A Shabby Genteel Story”, in Miscellanies: Prose and Verse, volume IV, London: Bradbury and Evans, […], published 1857, →OCLC:

     He […] posed before her as a hero.

6. (intransitive) To behave affectedly in order to attract interest or admiration.
   • 2002, Charles Hebbert, Dan Richardson, The Rough Guide to Budapest, 2nd edition, London: Rough Guides, →ISBN, page 73:

     dressed-to-kill babes and their sugar daddies would rather pose in malls, and teenagers can find McDonald's anywhere, leaving Váci utterly dependent on tourists for its livelihood and bustle.

7. (obsolete, transitive) To interrogate; to question.
   • 1622, Francis, Lord Verulam, Viscount St. Alban [i.e. Francis Bacon], The Historie of the Raigne of King Henry the Seventh, […], London: […] W[illiam] Stansby for Matthew Lownes, and William Barret, →OCLC:

     She pretended to […] pose him and sift him.

8. (obsolete, transitive) To question with a view to puzzling; to embarrass by questioning or scrutiny; to bring to a stand.
   • a. 1678 (date written), Isaac Barrow, “(please specify the chapter name or sermon number). Of the Love of God”, in The Works of Dr. Isaac Barrow. […], volume (please specify |volume=I to VII), London: A[braham] J[ohn] Valpy, […], published 1830–1831, →OCLC:

     A question wherewith a learned Pharisee thought to pose or puzzle him.

   • 1846 October 1 – 1848 April 1, Charles Dickens, Dombey and Son, London: Bradbury and Evans, […], published 1848, →OCLC:

     The Doctor […] had likewise a pair of little eyes that were always half shut up, and a mouth that was always half expanded into a grin, as if he had, that moment, posed a boy, and were waiting to convict him from his own lips.

Derived terms

• posable
• posingly
• posing pouch

 

Collocations

Collocations

• pose a question
• pose a threat
• pose a challenge
• pose a risk
• pose a danger
• pose a dilemma
• pose a hazard
• pose a problem
• pose an issue
• pose an obstacle
• pose a difficulty
• pose a paradox
• pose a contradiction
• pose a predicament
• pose a conundrum

Translations

set in place, arrange

• Bulgarian: поставям (bg) (postavjam), нагласявам (bg) (naglasjavam)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 放 (zh) (fàng), 置 (zh) (zhì), 放置 (zh) (fàngzhì)

• Finnish: asettaa (fi), asetella (fi)
• French: mettre (fr), poser (fr), disposer (fr)
• Georgian: please add this translation if you can
• German: stellen (de), legen (de)
• Irish: deasaigh
• Italian: posare (it), deporre (it), adagiare (it), mettere giù, collocare (it), poggiare (it)
• Japanese: 置く (ja) (おく, oku)
• Norwegian: stille (no), anbringe
• Occitan: pausar (oc), metre (oc)
• Portuguese: pousar (pt), colocar (pt)
• Russian: располага́ть (ru) impf (raspolagátʹ), расположи́ть (ru) pf (raspoložítʹ), класть (ru) impf (klastʹ), положи́ть (ru) pf (položítʹ), ста́вить (ru) impf (stávitʹ), поста́вить (ru) pf (postávitʹ)
• Spanish: posar (es)

ask, set (a test or quiz)

• Bulgarian: задавам (zadavam)
• Catalan: plantetjar, formular (ca)
• Finnish: kysyä (fi), esittää kysymys
• French: poser (fr)
• German: stellen (de)
• Italian: porre (it)
• Norwegian: stille (no)
• Occitan: pausar (oc)
• Portuguese: perguntar (pt)
• Russian: озада́чивать (ru) impf (ozadáčivatʹ), озада́чить (ru) pf (ozadáčitʹ); задава́ть (ru) impf (zadavátʹ), зада́ть (ru) pf (zadátʹ) (вопро́с)
• Spanish: plantear (es), formular (es)

assume or maintain a pose

• Bulgarian: позирам (bg) (poziram)
• Dutch: poseren (nl)
• Esperanto: pozi (eo)
• Finnish: poseerata (fi)
• French: poser (fr)
• Georgian: please add this translation if you can
• German: posieren (de)
• Irish: deasaigh thú féin
• Italian: posare (it), mettersi in posa, atteggiarsi (it)
• Japanese: ポーズをつくる (pōzu o tsukuru)
• Norwegian: posere
• Occitan: pausar (oc)
• Polish: pozować (pl) impf
• Portuguese: posar (pt)
• Russian: пози́ровать (ru) impf (pozírovatʹ)
• Spanish: posar (es)
• Swedish: posera (sv)

constitute

• Finnish: muodostaa (fi)
• French: représenter (fr), constituer (fr)
• Italian: rappresentare (it), costituire (it)
• Norwegian: representere
• Russian: представля́ть (ru) impf (predstavljátʹ), предста́вить (ru) pf (predstávitʹ)

Noun

pose (plural poses)

1. Position, posture, arrangement (especially of the human body).

   Please adopt a more graceful pose for my camera.

   • 1897 December (indicated as 1898), Winston Churchill, chapter V, in The Celebrity: An Episode, New York, N.Y.: The Macmillan Company; London: Macmillan & Co., Ltd., →OCLC:

     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

• banana pose
• child's pose
• cobra pose
• cool pose
• pigeon pose
• T-pose
• T pose
• triangle pose

 

Related terms

• appose
• compose
• contrapose
• counterpose
• decompose
• depose
• dispose
• expose
• impose
• indispose
• juxtapose
• oppose
• postpose
• predispose
• prepose
• presuppose
• propose
• recompose
• repose
• superimpose
• superpose
• suppose
• transpose

 

Translations

position, arrangement (especially of the human body)

• Arabic: جِلْسَة f (jilsa) (the way of sitting), جَلْسَة f (jalsa), وَضْع (ar) m (waḍʕ)
• Armenian: դիրք (hy) (dirkʻ)
• Belarusian: по́за f (póza)
• Bulgarian: по́за (bg) f (póza)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 姿勢 / 姿势 (zh) (zīshì), 姿態 / 姿态 (zh) (zītài)

• Czech: póza (cs) f
• Esperanto: pozo (eo)
• Finnish: asento (fi)
• French: pose (fr) f
• Georgian: პოზა (ṗoza)
• German: Pose (de) f
• Hungarian: póz (hu)
• Italian: posa (it) f
• Japanese: ポーズ (ja) (pōzu)
• Korean: 포즈 (pojeu)
• Latvian: poza (lv) f
• Lithuanian: poza f
• Macedonian: поза f (poza)
• Persian: پز (fa) (poz)
• Polish: poza (pl) f
• Portuguese: pose (pt) f
• Romanian: poză (ro) f
• Russian: по́за (ru) f (póza)
• Sanskrit: please add this translation if you can
• Serbo-Croatian:

  Cyrillic: по́за f

  Roman: póza (sh) f

• Slovak: póza f
• Slovene: poza f
• Spanish: pose (es) f
• Swedish: pose (sv) c
• Ukrainian: по́за f (póza)

affectation — see also affectation

• Arabic: تَكَلُّف m (takalluf)
• Hebrew: פּוֹזָה (he) f (póza)
• Persian: پز (fa) (poz)
• Portuguese: pose (pt) f
• Russian: по́за (ru) f (póza)

Etymology 3

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

Alternative forms

• poze

Verb

pose (third-person singular simple present poses, present participle posing, simple past and past participle posed)

1. (obsolete) To ask (someone) questions; to interrogate.
   • 1526, [William Tyndale, transl.], The Newe Testamẽt […] (Tyndale Bible), [Worms, Germany: Peter Schöffer], →OCLC, Luke ij:

     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.

   • 1642, Tho[mas] Browne, “The First Part”, in Religio Medici. […], 4th edition, London: […] E. Cotes for Andrew Crook […], published 1656, →OCLC, section 9, page 16:

     'Tis my solitary recreation to pose my apprehension with those involved Ænigmas and riddles of the Trinity, with Incarnation and Resurrection.

2. (now rare) to puzzle, non-plus, or embarrass with difficult questions.
3. (now rare) To perplex or confuse (someone).

Derived terms

• poser

Further reading

• “pose”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.
• “pose”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911, →OCLC.
• “pose”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.

Anagrams

• opes, ESOP, peso, epos, EOPs, poës, Poes, poes, OPEs, Epos, POEs, EPOs, peos, PEOs, sope

Creek

Etymology

Borrowed from English pussy.

Pronunciation

• (Oklahoma) IPA^(key): [póˑzɪ]
• Hyphenation: po‧se

Noun

pose

1. cat

Inflection

Possessive inflection of pose (alienable)

	Singular	Plural
First person	vmpose	pompose
Second person	cempose
Third person	empose

References

• J. B. Martin, M. McKane Mauldrin (2004) A dictionary of Creek/Muscogee, University of Nebraska Press, →ISBN, page 100
• J. B. Martin (2011) A grammar of Creek (Muscogee), University of Nebraska Press, →ISBN, page 310

Danish

Dette er en pose.

Dette er også en pose.

Etymology

From Old Norse posi, from Proto-Germanic *pusô.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): [ˈpʰoːsə]

Noun

pose

1. bag

Usage notes

A pose is a simple, flexible one-room container open or openable in the top. Do not confuse with taske.

Declension

Declension of pose

common gender	Singular		Plural
	indefinite	definite	indefinite	definite
nominative	pose	posen	poser	poserne
genitive	poses	posens	posers	posernes

References

• “pose” in Den Danske Ordbog

Dutch

Etymology

Borrowed from French pose.

Pronunciation

• Audio:

  (file)

Hyphenation: po‧se

Noun

pose f (plural posen or poses, diminutive posetje n)

1. stance or pose

Anagrams

• epos, poes, soep

Finnish

Etymology

From Swedish bås.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈpose/, [ˈpo̞s̠e̞]
• Rhymes: -ose
• Hyphenation^(key): po‧se

Noun

pose (slang, Helsinki slang)

1. jail

   Alternative form: bose

Declension

Inflection of pose (Kotus type 8/nalle, no gradation)
nominative		pose	poset
genitive		posen	posejen
partitive		posea	poseja
illative		poseen	poseihin
		singular	plural
nominative		pose	poset
accusative	nom.	pose	poset
	gen.	posen
genitive		posen	posejen posein rare
partitive		posea	poseja
inessive		posessa	poseissa
elative		posesta	poseista
illative		poseen	poseihin
adessive		posella	poseilla
ablative		poselta	poseilta
allative		poselle	poseille
essive		posena	poseina
translative		poseksi	poseiksi
abessive		posetta	poseitta
instructive		—	posein
comitative		See the possessive forms below.

Possessive forms of pose (Kotus type 8/nalle, no gradation)

first-person singular possessor singular plural nominative poseni poseni accusative nom. poseni poseni gen. poseni genitive poseni posejeni poseini rare partitive poseani posejani inessive posessani poseissani elative posestani poseistani illative poseeni poseihini adessive posellani poseillani ablative poseltani poseiltani allative poselleni poseilleni essive posenani poseinani translative posekseni poseikseni abessive posettani poseittani instructive — — comitative — poseineni second-person singular possessor singular plural nominative posesi posesi accusative nom. posesi posesi gen. posesi genitive posesi posejesi poseisi rare partitive poseasi posejasi inessive posessasi poseissasi elative posestasi poseistasi illative poseesi poseihisi adessive posellasi poseillasi ablative poseltasi poseiltasi allative posellesi poseillesi essive posenasi poseinasi translative poseksesi poseiksesi abessive posettasi poseittasi instructive — — comitative — poseinesi first-person plural possessor singular plural nominative posemme posemme accusative nom. posemme posemme gen. posemme genitive posemme posejemme poseimme rare partitive poseamme posejamme inessive posessamme poseissamme elative posestamme poseistamme illative poseemme poseihimme adessive posellamme poseillamme ablative poseltamme poseiltamme allative posellemme poseillemme essive posenamme poseinamme translative poseksemme poseiksemme abessive posettamme poseittamme instructive — — comitative — poseinemme second-person plural possessor singular plural nominative posenne posenne accusative nom. posenne posenne gen. posenne genitive posenne posejenne poseinne rare partitive poseanne posejanne inessive posessanne poseissanne elative posestanne poseistanne illative poseenne poseihinne adessive posellanne poseillanne ablative poseltanne poseiltanne allative posellenne poseillenne essive posenanne poseinanne translative poseksenne poseiksenne abessive posettanne poseittanne instructive — — comitative — poseinenne third-person possessor singular plural nominative posensa posensa accusative nom. posensa posensa gen. posensa genitive posensa posejensa poseinsa rare partitive poseaan poseansa posejaan posejansa inessive posessaan posessansa poseissaan poseissansa elative posestaan posestansa poseistaan poseistansa illative poseensa poseihinsa adessive posellaan posellansa poseillaan poseillansa ablative poseltaan poseltansa poseiltaan poseiltansa allative poselleen posellensa poseilleen poseillensa essive posenaan posenansa poseinaan poseinansa translative posekseen poseksensa poseikseen poseiksensa abessive posettaan posettansa poseittaan poseittansa instructive — — comitative — poseineen poseinensa

Further reading

• “pose”, in Kielitoimiston sanakirja [Dictionary of Contemporary Finnish]‎^[2] (in Finnish) (online dictionary, continuously updated), Kotimaisten kielten keskuksen verkkojulkaisuja 35, Helsinki: Kotimaisten kielten tutkimuskeskus (Institute for the Languages of Finland), 2004–, retrieved 2023-07-03

Anagrams

• peso

French

Etymology

Derived from the verb poser. Compare also Italian posa, Latin pausa.

Noun

pose f (plural poses)

1. installation

Derived terms

• prendre la pose

Noun

pose m (plural poses)

1. extension (in telecommunications)

Descendants

• → Portuguese: pose
• → Romanian: poză
• → Turkish: poz

Verb

pose

1. inflection of poser:
   1. first/third-person singular present indicative/subjunctive
   2. second-person singular imperative

Further reading

• “pose”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.

German

Pronunciation

• Audio:

  (file)

Verb

pose

1. inflection of posen:
   1. first-person singular present
   2. first/third-person singular subjunctive I
   3. singular imperative

Ido

Adverb

pose

1. afterwards

Italian

Etymology 1

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈpɔ.ze/, (traditional) /ˈpɔ.se/
• Rhymes: -ɔze, (traditional) -ɔse
• Hyphenation: pò‧se

Noun

pose m pl

1. plural of posa

Etymology 2

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈpo.ze/, (traditional) /ˈpo.se/
• Rhymes: -oze, (traditional) -ose
• Hyphenation: pó‧se

Verb

pose

1. third-person singular past historic of porre

Anagrams

• epos, peso, pesò

Norwegian Bokmål

Etymology

From Danish pose, from Old Norse posi.

Noun

pose m (definite singular posen, indefinite plural poser, definite plural posene)

1. bag, sack

Derived terms

• bærepose
• papirpose
• plastpose
• poser under øynene
• sovepose
• tepose

 

References

• “pose” in The Bokmål Dictionary.

Norwegian Nynorsk

Alternative forms

• påså, pøse (dialectal)

Etymology

Inherited from Old Norse posi.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /²puːsə/

Noun

pose m (definite singular posen, indefinite plural posar, definite plural posane)

1. a bag or sack

Derived terms

• papirpose
• plastpose
• sovepose
• spypose
• søppelpose
• tepose

References

• “pose” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.

Pali

Alternative forms

Alternative scripts

• 𑀧𑁄𑀲𑁂 (Brahmi script)
• पोसे (Devanagari script)
• পোসে (Bengali script)
• පොසෙ (Sinhalese script)
• ပေါသေ or ပေႃသေ (Burmese script)
• โปเส (Thai script)
• ᨷᩮᩤᩈᩮ (Tai Tham script)
• ໂປເສ (Lao script)
• បោសេ (Khmer script)
• 𑄛𑄮𑄥𑄬 (Chakma script)

Noun

pose

1. inflection of posa (“man”):
   1. locative singular
   2. accusative plural

Portuguese

Etymology 1

Borrowed from French pose.

Pronunciation

 

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /ˈpɔ.zi/

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /ˈpɔ.zi/
  • (Southern Brazil) IPA^(key): /ˈpɔ.ze/

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /ˈpɔ.zɨ/

• Hyphenation: po‧se

Noun

pose f (plural poses)

1. pose (position, arrangement (especially of the human body))

Etymology 2

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

Pronunciation

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /ˈpo.zɨ/, /ˈpɔ.zɨ/

• Hyphenation: po‧se

Verb

pose

1. inflection of posar:
   1. first/third-person singular present subjunctive
   2. third-person singular imperative

Spanish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈpose/ [ˈpo.se]
• Rhymes: -ose
• Syllabification: po‧se

Etymology 1

Borrowed from French pose.

Noun

pose f (plural poses)

1. pose (unnatural posture)

Etymology 2

Verb

pose

1. inflection of posar:
   1. first/third-person singular present subjunctive
   2. third-person singular imperative

Further reading

• “pose”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 2024 December 10