halcyon vs poise

halcyon

noun
  • The dead body of such a bird, said in Tudor times to act as a weather vane when hung from a beam. 

  • A kingfisher whose nesting by the sea was said, in classical mythology, to cause the Gods to restrain the wind and waves. 

  • A tropical kingfisher of the genus Halcyon, such as the sacred kingfisher (Halcyon sancta) of Australia. 

adj
  • Pertaining to the halcyon or kingfisher. 

  • Calm, undisturbed, peaceful, serene. 

poise

noun
  • A condition of hovering, or being suspended. 

  • The weight, or mass of metal, used in weighing, to balance the substance weighed. 

  • Mien; bearing or deportment of the head or body. 

  • That which causes a balance; a counterweight. 

  • A state of balance, equilibrium or stability. 

  • Composure; freedom from embarrassment or affectation. 

  • A CGS unit of dynamic viscosity equal to one dyne-second per square centimetre. 

verb
  • To hold (something) in equilibrium, to hold balanced and ready; to carry (something) ready to be used. 

  • To ascertain, as if by balancing; to weigh. 

  • To keep (something) in equilibrium; to hold suspended or balanced. 

How often have the words halcyon and poise occurred in a corpus of books? (source: Google Ngram Viewer )