Definition of REPOSE

repose

Meanings

Plural: repose, reposed, reposes

Noun

  • freedom from activity (work or strain or responsibility)
    • "took his repose by the swimming pool"
  • the absence of mental stress or anxiety
  • a disposition free from stress or emotion
  • Temporary cessation from activity to rest and recover, especially in the form of sleep; rest; (countable) an instance of this; a break, a rest; a sleep.
  • Temporary cessation from activity to rest and recover, especially in the form of sleep; rest; (countable) an instance of this; a break, a rest; a sleep.
  • Of the Virgin Mary: death; also assumption into heaven.
  • Temporary cessation from activity to rest and recover, especially in the form of sleep; rest; (countable) an instance of this; a break, a rest; a sleep.
  • The festival honouring the assumption of the Virgin Mary into heaven, celebrated on August 15.
  • The state of being peacefully inactive or relaxed, or being free from disturbances or worries; calmness, ease, peace, quietness.
  • Calmness of the mind or temperament; composure.
  • Of the face, a muscle, etc.: the state of being relaxed and not in tension.
  • The state of lying still and unmoving; calmness, tranquillity; (countable) an instance of this.
  • Relief or respite from something exhausting or unpleasant; (countable) an instance of this.
  • Confidence, faith, or trust in something.
  • The arrangement of elements of an artwork, a building, etc., that is restful and soothing to a viewer; harmony.
  • The state of leaving something alone or untouched; (countable) an instance of this.
  • Chiefly in the form point of repose, position of repose, etc.: absence of motion; equilibrium; (countable) a position where an object is not moving and at rest.
  • Of a natural phenomenon, especially the eruption of a volcano: the state of temporary cessation of activity; dormancy, quiescence.
  • A piece of furniture on which one can rest, especially a couch or sofa.
  • A place of rest.
  • The technique of including in a painting an area or areas which are dark, indistinct, or soft in tone so that other areas are more prominent, or so that a viewer can rest they eyes when looking at them; (countable) such an area of a painting.

Verb

  • put or confide something in a person or thing
    • "These philosophers reposed the law in the people"
  • be inherent or innate in
  • lie when dead
    • "Mao reposes in his mausoleum"
  • lean in a comfortable resting position
  • put in a horizontal position
  • to put something (eg trust) in something
    • "The nation reposed its confidence in the King"
  • To lay (someone, or part of their body) down to rest.
  • To rest (oneself), especially by going to sleep.
  • Followed by from or (obsolete) of: to cause (oneself) to take a rest from some activity; also, to allow (oneself) to recover from some activity.
  • To give (someone) rest; to refresh (someone) by giving rest.
  • To cause (oneself) to have faith in or rely on someone or something.
  • To give (someone) accommodation for the night.
  • To lean or recline, sit down, or lie down to rest; to rest.
  • To lean or recline, sit down, or lie down to rest; to rest.
  • To die, to rest in peace.
  • Followed by on or upon: of a thing: to lie or be physically positioned on something, especially horizontally; to rest on or be supported by something.
  • Followed by on or upon: of light, a look, etc.: to fall or rest (and often remain for a while) on something; to alight, to dwell.
  • Followed by on or upon: to be based on; to depend or rely on.
  • To cease activity to rest or recover; also, to have a period free from activity or disturbance.
  • To have faith in; to confide, to trust.
  • To lie still and unmoving.
  • Senses relating to placing or positioning.
  • To place (confidence, faith, or trust) in someone or something.
  • Senses relating to placing or positioning.
  • Followed by in: to entrust (duty, power, etc.) in someone; to confide.
  • Senses relating to placing or positioning.
  • To place (something), especially for safekeeping or storage; to deposit, to keep safe, to store.
  • Senses relating to placing or positioning.
  • To regard (something) as being embodied in another thing; to ascribe, to attribute.
  • Senses relating to placing or positioning.
  • To establish or institute (something); to found.
  • Senses relating to placing or positioning.
  • To throw (something); to cast.
  • Senses relating to returning.
  • To put (a body part) back in its usual location; to reposition.
  • Senses relating to returning.
  • To forcefully restrain (something); to repress, to suppress.
  • Senses relating to returning.
  • To return (something) to a particular place; to put back, to replace.
  • Senses relating to returning.
  • To restore (someone) to a position or rank formerly held; to reinstate.
  • Of a thing: to be in the management or power of a person or an organization.
  • To pose (oneself or someone, or something) again.

Origin / Etymology

The verb is derived from Middle English reposen (“to rest”), from Anglo-Norman reposer, reposir, and Middle French reposer, from Old French reposer, repauser (“to become calm; to be peaceful; to rest; to be immobile; to lie or be placed; to cease, stop; to neglect”) (modern French reposer), from Latin repausāre, the present active infinitive of repausō (“(Late Latin) to be at rest; to lie down, rest; to sleep; to calm, pacify; (Latin) to halt temporarily, pause”), from re- (prefix meaning ‘again; back, backwards’) + pausō (“to cease, halt; to pause”) (from pausa (“a halt, stop; a pause; an end”), from Ancient Greek παῦσῐς (paûsĭs, “ceasing, stopping”), from παύω (paúō, “to cease; to make to cease, stop; to bring to an end; to hinder”) (further etymology uncertain; possibly from Proto-Indo-European *peh₂w- (“few, little; smallness”)) + -σῐς (-sĭs, suffix forming abstract nouns or nouns of action, process, or result)).
The noun is derived from Late Middle English repose, from Anglo-Norman repous, repos, and Middle French repos, repose, from Old French repos (“calm; rest; period or state of sleep; state of immobility; state of inaction”) (modern French repos), from reposer, repauser (verb) (see above).
Noun sense 12.3 (“technique of including in a painting an area or areas which are dark, indistinct, or soft in tone”) is borrowed from French repos.
Cognates
Catalan reposar (verb), repòs (noun)
Italian riposare (verb), riposo (noun)
Old Occitan repausar, repauzar (verb), repaus (noun)
Portuguese repousar (verb), repouso (noun)
Spanish reposar (verb), reposo (noun)

Synonyms

ataraxis, calm, calmness, composure, ease, equanimity, even-mindedness, heartsease, inner peace, lay, peace, peace of mind, peacefulness, phlegm, placidity, put down, quiet, quietness, recline, recumb, relaxation, repose, reside, rest, restfulness, roo, self-possession, serenity, stillness, tranquility, tranquillity

Scrabble Score: 8

repose is a valid Scrabble (US) TWL word
repose is a valid Scrabble Word in Merriam-Webster MW Dictionary
repose is a valid Scrabble Word in International Collins CSW Dictionary

Words With Friends Score: 9

repose is a valid Words With Friends word