Porzana, pōr-zā′na, n. an old name of the small European water-rail or crake.
Pos, poz, adj. (slang) an abbreviation of positive.
Posada, pō-sä′dä, n. an inn. [Sp.,—posar, to lodge.]
Posaune, pō-zow′ne, n. the trombone. [Ger.]
Pose, pōz, n. a position: an attitude, either natural or assumed.—v.i. to assume an attitude.—v.t. to put in a suitable attitude: to posit. [Fr.,—poser, to place—Low L. pausare, to cease—L. pausa, pause—Gr. pausis. Between Fr. poser and L. ponĕre, positum, there has been confusion, which has influenced the derivatives of both words.]
Pose, pōz, v.t. to puzzle: to perplex by questions: to bring to a stand.—ns. Pō′ser, one who, or that which, poses: a difficult question; Pō′sing.—adv. Pō′singly. [M. E. apposen, a corr. of oppose, which in the schools meant to 'argue against.']
Posé, po-zā′, adj. (her.) standing still.
Position, po-zish′un, n. place, situation: attitude: a place taken or to be taken by troops: state of affairs: the ground taken in argument or in a dispute: principle laid down: place in society: method of finding the value of an unknown quantity by assuming one or more values (single, when one is assumed; double, when two).—v.t. Posit (poz′it), to place in right position or relation: to lay down as something true or granted.—adj. Posi′tional.—Strategic position, a position taken up by troops to check the movements of an enemy. [Fr.,—L.—ponĕre, positum, to place.]
Positive, poz′i-tiv, adj. definitely placed or laid down: clearly expressed: really existing: actual: not admitting of any doubt or qualification: decisive: settled by distinct appointment: arbitrarily prescribed, laid down—opp. to Natural: too confident in opinion: fully assured: certain: (gram.) noting the simple form of an adjective—as Positive degree of comparison: (math.) greater than zero, to be added, as Positive quantity: (phot.) having the lights and shades in the picture the same as in the original, instead of being reversed: (electr.) having a relatively high potential—opp. to Negative (q.v.).—n. that which is placed or laid down: that which may be affirmed: reality: a positive picture—opp. to Negative.—adv. Pos′itively.—ns. Pos′itiveness, state or quality of being positive: certainty: confidence; Pos′itivism, actual or absolute knowledge; Pos′itivist, a believer in positivism.—Pos′itivism, Positive philosophy, the philosophical system originated by Comte (1798-1857)—its foundation the doctrine that man can have no knowledge of anything but phenomena, and that the knowledge of phenomena is relative, not absolute. [Fr.,—L. positivus, fixed by agreement—ponĕre, to place.]
Posnet, pos′net, n. a small basin. [O. Fr. pocenet.]