repose

¹ American  

[ri-pohz] / rɪˈpoʊz /

noun

1. the state of resting or being at rest; sleep.

2. peace; tranquility; calm.

   rare moments of utter repose.

3. dignified calmness, as of manner; composure.

4. absence of movement, animation, etc..

   When in repose, her face recalls the Mona Lisa.

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verb (used without object)

reposed, reposing

1. to lie or be at rest, as from work, activity, etc.

2. to lie dead.

   His body will repose in the chapel for two days.

3. to be peacefully calm and quiet.

   The sea reposed under the tropical sun.

4. to lie or rest on something.

5. Archaic. to depend or rely on a person or thing.

verb (used with object)

reposed, reposing

1. to lay at rest; rest; refresh by rest (often used reflexively).

repose ² American  

[ri-pohz] / rɪˈpoʊz /

verb (used with object)

reposed, reposing

1. to put (confidence, trust, etc.) in a person or thing.

2. to put under the authority or at the disposal of a person.

3. Archaic. to deposit.

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repose ¹ British  

/ rɪˈpəʊz /

noun

1. a state of quiet restfulness; peace or tranquillity

2. dignified calmness of manner; composure

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verb

1. to place (oneself or one's body) in a state of quiet relaxation; lie or lay down at rest

2. (intr) to lie when dead, as in the grave

3. formal (intr; foll by on, in, etc) to take support (from) or be based (on)

   your plan reposes on a fallacy

repose ² British  

/ rɪˈpəʊz /

verb

1. to put (trust or confidence) in a person or thing

2. to place or put (an object) somewhere

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Other Word Forms

• reposal
  noun
• reposedly
  adverb
• reposedness
  noun
• reposeful
  adjective
• reposefully
  adverb
• reposefulness
  noun
• reposer
  noun

Etymology

Origin of repose¹

First recorded in 1425–75; late Middle English verb reposen, from Middle French reposer, Old French, from Late Latin repausāre, equivalent to Latin re- re- + Late Latin pausāre “to rest” (derivative of Latin pausa pause )

Origin of repose²

First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English reposen “to replace,” influenced by Latin reposuisse “to have put back,” perfect infinitive of repōnere; see re-, pose ¹

Explanation

Repose is a formal or literary term used to mean the act of resting, or the state of being at rest. Repose is also a state of mind: freedom from worry. As a verb, repose means to rest or relax, or to rest on something for support: "There she was, reposing on the front porch." The verb is from Middle English, from Old French reposer, from Late Latin repausāre, "to cause to rest," from the Latin prefix re-, "again," plus pausāre, "to rest."

Example Sentences

Inspired by Wallace Stegner's novel "Angle of Repose" and Robert Altman's film "McCabe & Mrs. Miller," he gradually focused on mining as a jumping-off point.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 22, 2017

He enlisted in the Navy during the Korean War and served on the hospital ship Repose, where he played with a shipboard group, the Repose Ramblers.

From New York Times • Jan. 12, 2016

The plot of Mistress Mas ham's Repose revolves around the efforts of Maria's fiendish guardians to abduct the Lilliputians and sell them to Hollywood.

From Time Magazine Archive

Author of such celebrated books as Angle of Repose and Big Rock Candy Mountain, and for years a teacher at Stanford University, Stegner is only 67 and still active.

From Time Magazine Archive

So we spent that day in the cheery grove, with the vivid light of later afternoon falling on the grasses; we spent it bumbling about in the Blissful State of Mammalian Repose.

From "The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume I: The Pox Party" by M.T. Anderson

Related Words

• inactivity
• stillness