pose

Meaning

Noun

Common cold, head cold; catarrh.

Verb

1. To place in an attitude or fixed position, for the sake of effect.
2. To ask; to set (a test, quiz, riddle, etc.).
3. To constitute (a danger, a threat, a risk, etc.).
4. To falsely impersonate (another person or occupation) primarily for the purpose of accomplishing something or reaching a goal.
5. To assume or maintain a pose; to strike an attitude.
6. To behave affectedly in order to attract interest or admiration.
7. (obsolete) To interrogate; to question.
8. (obsolete) To question with a view to puzzling; to embarrass by questioning or scrutiny; to bring to a stand.

Verb

1. (obsolete) To ask (someone) questions; to interrogate.
2. to puzzle, non-plus, or embarrass with difficult questions.
3. To perplex or confuse (someone).

Pronounced as (IPA)

/poʊz/

Etymology

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”).