Balance

noun balances · balaunce

1. uncountable A state in which opposing forces harmonise; equilibrium. But civilized man is quite a different animal, and when he wipes out an entire city or levels a forest, he is no longer working within the natural balance of things.
2. uncountable Mental equilibrium; mental health; calmness, a state of remaining clear-headed and unperturbed.
3. countable, figuratively, literally, uncountable Something of equal weight used to provide equilibrium; counterweight. These weights are used as a balance for the overhanging verandah.
4. countable, uncountable A pair of scales.
5. uncountable Awareness of both viewpoints or matters; neutrality; rationality; objectivity.
6. uncountable The overall result of conflicting forces, opinions etc.; the influence which ultimately "weighs" more than others. The balance of power finally lay with the Royalist forces.
7. uncountable Apparent harmony in art (between differing colours, sounds, etc.).
8. countable, uncountable A list accounting for the debits on one side, and for the credits on the other.
9. countable, uncountable The result of such a procedure; the difference between credit and debit of an account. I just need to nip to a bank and check my balance.
10. countable, uncountable A device used to regulate the speed of a watch, clock etc.
11. countable, uncountable The remainder. The balance of the agreement remains in effect.
12. countable, obsolete, uncountable Libra.

verb balances · balancing · balanced · balance

1. transitive To bring (items) to an equipoise, as the scales of a balance by adjusting the weights.
2. intransitive, reflexive, transitive To move while remaining balanced on a narrow or precarious support (e.g., a wire, ledge or rope). She balanced along the wire while the crowd watched in rapt attention.
3. figuratively, transitive To make (concepts) agree. the Proteus Principle helps to qualify and balance the concepts of narrators and of narrative situations as previously developed in classical studies by G erard Genette and Franz Stanzel.
4. transitive To hold (an object or objects) precariously; to support on a narrow base, so as to keep from falling. I balanced my mug of coffee on my knee.
5. transitive To compare in relative force, importance, value, etc.; to estimate. Ballance the Good and Evil of Things.
6. transitive To move toward, and then back from, reciprocally. to balance partners
7. transitive To contract, as a sail, into a narrower compass. to balance the boom mainsail
8. transitive To make the credits and debits of (an account) correspond. to balance a set of books
9. intransitive To be in equilibrium.
10. intransitive To have matching credits and debits.
11. obsolete, transitive To weigh in a balance.
12. intransitive, obsolete To hesitate or fluctuate.

Similar: balance, counterbalance, equilibrate, equilibrize, equipoise, poise

proper noun the Balance

1. The constellation and zodiacal sign Libra. Libra, or the Balance holdeth in the Navel, the Reins, and the lower parts of the Womb.