Etymology: Originally a variant spelling of oppose v., Middle English oposen and aposen, = Old French oposer and aposer (both languages showing substitution of the more common atonic ă- for atonic ŏ- : even medieval Latin confounded appositum and oppositum ), used in the common scholastic sense of Latin oppōnĕre ‘to argue against, bring forward objections or difficulties to be answered’ (oppōnere et respondēre ). In senses more obviously connected with the primary meaning of oppōnĕre and opposition , the form oppose was at length established; but in those in which this connection was not apparent, and which might even be plausibly explained < appōnĕre , as if ‘to put it to one,’ appose early prevailed. Also aphetized in 15th cent. to pose v.², the modern representative. For the artificial affiliation of -pose to Latin pōnĕre , positum , see appose v.²

Etymology: formed to represent Latin appōnĕre , on the analogy of compose, expose, suppose, and the other assumed representatives of compounds of pōnĕre , formed on Old French poser < Latin pausāre , after this verb came, through form-association with positio , positum , to be treated as the representative of Latin pōnĕre (see pause v.¹, pose v.¹). In French apposer is found as early as 13th cent.