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balance
1[ bal-uhns ]
noun
- a state of equilibrium or equipoise; equal distribution of weight, amount, etc.
- something used to produce equilibrium; counterpoise.
- mental steadiness or emotional stability; habit of calm behavior, judgment, etc.
- a state of bodily equilibrium:
He lost his balance and fell down the stairs.
- an instrument for determining weight, typically by the equilibrium of a bar with a fulcrum at the center, from each end of which is suspended a scale or pan, one holding an object of known weight, and the other holding the object to be weighed.
- the remainder or rest:
He carried what he could and left the balance for his brother to bring.
- the power or ability to decide an outcome by throwing one's strength, influence, support, or the like, to one side or the other.
- (in winemaking) the degree to which all the attributes of a wine are in harmony, with none either too prominent or deficient.
- Accounting.
- equality between the totals of the two sides of an account.
- the difference between the debit total and the credit total of an account.
- unpaid difference represented by the excess of debits over credits.
- an adjustment of accounts.
- the act of balancing; comparison as to weight, amount, importance, etc.; estimate.
- preponderating weight:
The balance of the blame is on your side.
- Fine Arts. composition or placement of elements of design, as figures, forms, or colors, in such a manner as to produce an aesthetically pleasing or harmoniously integrated whole.
- Dance. a balancing movement.
- Also called balance wheel. Horology. a wheel that oscillates against the tension of a hairspring to regulate the beats of a watch or clock.
- Balance, Astronomy, Astrology. the constellation or sign of Libra; Scales.
- Audio. (in a stereophonic sound system) the comparative loudness of two speakers, usually set by a control balancecontrol on the amplifier or receiver.
verb (used with object)
- to bring to or hold in equilibrium; poise:
to balance a book on one's head.
- to arrange, adjust, or proportion the parts of symmetrically.
- to be equal or proportionate to:
I'm always happy when cash on hand balances expected expenses.
One side of an equation must balance the other.
- Accounting.
- to add up the two sides of (an account) and determine the difference.
- to make the necessary entries in (an account) so that the sums of the two sides will be equal.
- to settle by paying what remains due on an account; equalize or adjust.
- to weigh in a balance.
- to estimate the relative weight or importance of; compare:
to balance all the probabilities of a situation.
- to serve as a counterpoise to; counterbalance; offset:
The advantages more than balance the disadvantages.
- Dance. to move in rhythm to and from:
to balance one's partner.
verb (used without object)
- to have an equality or equivalence in weight, parts, etc.; be in equilibrium:
The account doesn't balance.
Do these scales balance?
- Accounting. to reckon or adjust accounts.
- to waver or hesitate:
He would balance and temporize endlessly before reaching a decision.
- Dance. to move forward and backward or in opposite directions.
balancé
2[ bal-uhn-sey; French ba-lahn-sey ]
noun
- a swaying step performed in place in which the weight is lightly shifted from one foot to the other, the dancer sinking down on the heel of the foot to which the body is shifting, with flexed knees.
balance
1/ ˈbæləns /
noun
- a weighing device, generally consisting of a horizontal beam pivoted at its centre, from the ends of which two pans are suspended. The substance to be weighed is placed in one pan and known weights are placed in the other until the beam returns to the horizontal See also microbalance
- an imagined device for assessing events, actions, motives, etc, in relation to each other (esp in the phrases weigh in the balance , hang in the balance )
- a state of equilibrium
- something that brings about such a state
- equilibrium of the body; steadiness
to lose one's balance
- emotional stability; calmness of mind
- harmony in the parts of a whole
balance in an artistic composition
- the act of weighing factors, quantities, etc, against each other
- the power to influence or control
he held the balance of power
- something that remains or is left
let me have the balance of what you owe me
- accounting
- equality of debit and credit totals in an account
- a difference between such totals
- chem the state of a chemical equation in which the number, kind, electrical charges, etc, of the atoms on opposite sides are equal
- a balancing movement
- short for spring balance
- in the balancein an uncertain or undecided condition
- on balanceafter weighing up all the factors
- strike a balanceto make a compromise
verb
- tr to weigh in or as if in a balance
- intr to be or come into equilibrium
- tr to bring into or hold in equilibrium
- tr to assess or compare the relative weight, importance, etc, of
- tr to act so as to equalize; be equal to
- tr to compose or arrange so as to create a state of harmony
- tr to bring (a chemical or mathematical equation) into balance
- tr accounting
- to compute the credit and debit totals of (an account) in order to determine the difference
- to equalize the credit and debit totals of (an account) by making certain entries
- to settle or adjust (an account) by paying any money due
- intr (of a business account, balance sheet, etc) to have the debit and credit totals equal
- to match or counter (one's dancing partner or his or her steps) by moving towards and away from him or her
Balance
2/ ˈbæləns /
noun
- the Balancethe constellation Libra, the seventh sign of the zodiac
balance
/ băl′əns /
- To adjust a chemical equation so that the number of each type of atom and the total charge on the reactant (left-hand) side of the equation matches the number and charge on the product (right-hand) side of the equation.
Derived Forms
- ˈbalanceable, adjective
Other Words From
- balance·a·ble adjective
Word History and Origins
Origin of balance1
Word History and Origins
Origin of balance1
Idioms and Phrases
- in the balance, with the outcome in doubt or suspense:
While the jury deliberated, his fate rested in the balance.
- on balance, considering all aspects:
On balance, the new product is doing well.
More idioms and phrases containing balance
In addition to the idiom beginning with balance , also see checks and balances ; hang in the balance ; off balance ; on balance ; redress the balance ; strike a balance ; tip the balance .Example Sentences
If you received a partial payment or didn’t get all the money designated for a dependent child under 17, you can claim the balance on your 2020 return.
There are also chairs that will give you a full-body workout while you sit and stare at your screen, like a balance ball chair.
The CPUC is continuing to try to gather the remaining balance.
The best way to dominate local search is to strike the perfect balance between optimization and quality.
Adding in a lean meat like turkey jerky to increase the protein would achieve a better nutrient balance.
He was trying, I think, to demonstrate balance and equivalence.
For instance, how do you balance honesty with any protective urge?
Men and women balance each other out, and we have to get to a point where we are comfortable with appreciating each other.
We need to strike a balance between creating false alarms and letting any urgent medical matters fall through the cracks.
Likewise, it was the attempt to balance the power of rival European states that led to the conflict.
A constant sense of easy balance should be developed through poising exercises.
And as she hesitated between obedience to one and duty toward the other, her life, her love and future was in the balance.
He was to pay one third of the amount before the book went to press, the balance he was to pay within a reasonable time.
Government grants amount to about two-thirds of the income, the balance being raised by public subscription and from fees.
For hours the issue hung in the balance, and at last even the stubborn Lefbvre began to think of retreat.
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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
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