pose1
- to assume a particular attitude or stance, especially with the hope of impressing others: He likes to pose as an authority on literature.
- to present oneself insincerely: He seems to be posing in all his behavior.
- to assume or hold a physical attitude, as for an artistic purpose: to pose for a painter.
- to place in a suitable position or attitude for a picture, tableau, or the like: to pose a group for a photograph.
- to assert, state, or put forward: That poses a difficult problem.
- to put or place.
- a bodily attitude or posture: Her pose had a note of defiance in it.
- a mental attitude or posture: a pose cultivated by the upper classes.
- the act or period of posing, as for a picture.
- a position or attitude assumed in posing, or exhibited by a figure in a picture, sculptural work, tableau, or the like.
- a moment in which a dancer remains motionless, usually in an assumed posture.
- a studied attitude; affectation: His liberalism is merely a pose.
Origin of pose1
Synonyms
See more synonyms for pose on Thesaurus.compose2
- to embarrass or baffle, as by a difficult question or problem.
- Obsolete. to examine by putting questions.
Origin of pose2
Examples from the Web for posed
Contemporary Examples
Actually, Brown lost the Senate race to Democrat incumbent Jean Shaheen because Scott once posed nude for Cosmo.
In February, he posed with Shilene George in a photo with the caption, “I have the best girlfriend in the whole world!!”
If that is the case, I fail to see how anyone can believe that Grenada posed no threat to our well-being.
Some have posed this with the sincere intention of being helpful.
He posed with blind children in Greece and crippled children in Italy and orphans in England.
Historical Examples
The little model who posed for me was a lovely Italian of eight years old.
My Double LifeSarah Bernhardt
During the intervals for rest I posed for him in various attitudes, for he was a painter.
My Double LifeSarah Bernhardt
They had posed themselves so absurdly close to the world of things as they are.
The HarborErnest Poole
Posed for his bust while suffering with a bad attack of dyspepsia.
Who Was Who: 5000 B. C. to DateAnonymous
Together with his sons he posed for his statue while encumbered with a bad attack.
Who Was Who: 5000 B. C. to DateAnonymous
pose1
- to assume or cause to assume a physical attitude, as for a photograph or painting
- (intr often foll by as) to pretend to be or present oneself (as something one is not)
- (intr) to affect an attitude or play a part in order to impress others
- (tr) to put forward, ask, or assertto pose a question
- a physical attitude, esp one deliberately adopted for or represented by an artist or photographer
- a mode of behaviour that is adopted for effect
Word Origin
pose2
- rare to puzzle or baffle
- archaic to question closely
Word Origin
Word Origin and History for posed
pose
v.1
late 14c., "suggest, propose, suppose, assume," from Old French poser "put, place, propose," a term in debating, from Late Latin pausare "to halt, rest, pause" (source also of Italian posare, Spanish posar; see pause (v.)). The Old French verb (in common with cognates in Spanish, Italian, Portuguese) acquired the sense of Latin ponere "to put, place," by confusion of the similar stems. Meaning "put in a certain position" is from early 15c. Sense of "assume a certain attitude" is from 1840; the transitive sense (as an artist's model, etc.) is from 1859. Related: Posed; posing.
pose
v.2
"to puzzle, confuse, perplex," 1590s, earlier "question, interrogate" (1520s), probably from Middle French poser "suppose, assume," from Old French poser "to put, place, set" (see pose (v.1)). Also in some cases a shortening of English appose "examine closely," and oppose. Related: Posed; posing.
pose
n.
"act of posing the body," 1818, from pose (v.1), in a sense developed in the French cognate. Figuratively from 1884.