Hypertext Webster Gateway: "equilibrium"
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)
Equilibrium \E`qui*lib"ri*um\, n.; pl. E. {Equilibriums}, L.
{Equilibria}. [L. aequilibrium, fr. aequilibris in
equilibrium, level; aequus equal + libra balance. See
{Equal}, and {Librate}.]
1. Equality of weight or force; an equipoise or a state of
rest produced by the mutual counteraction of two or more
forces.
2. A level position; a just poise or balance in respect to an
object, so that it remains firm; equipoise; as, to
preserve the equilibrium of the body.
Health consists in the equilibrium between those two
powers. --Arbuthnot.
3. A balancing of the mind between motives or reasons, with
consequent indecision and doubt.
{Equilibrium valve} (Steam Engine), a balanced valve. See
under {Valve}.
From WordNet (r) 1.7 (wn)
equilibrium
n 1: a chemical reaction and its reverse proceed at equal rates
[syn: {chemical equilibrium}]
2: a stable situation in which forces cancel one another [ant:
{disequilibrium}]
3: equality of distribution [syn: {balance}, {equipoise}, {counterbalance}]
4: a sensory system located in structures of the inner ear that
registers the orientation of the head [syn: {labyrinthine
sense}, {vestibular sense}, {sense of balance}, {sense of
equilibrium}]
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