compress

Meaning

Verb

1. (transitive) To make smaller; to press or squeeze together, or to make something occupy a smaller space or volume.
2. (intransitive) To be pressed together or folded by compression into a more economic, easier format.
3. (transitive) To condense into a more economic, easier format.
4. (transitive) To abridge.
5. (transitive) To make digital information smaller by encoding it using fewer bits.
6. (obsolete) To embrace sexually.

Noun

1. A multiply folded piece of cloth, a pouch of ice, etc., used to apply to a patient's skin, cover the dressing of wounds, and placed with the aid of a bandage to apply pressure on an injury.
2. A machine for compressing.

Synonyms

press

squeeze

condense

compact

contract

press together

crush

constrict

pack

shrink

stuff

poultice

flatten

abridge

bandage

pinch

cram

shorten

reduce

clench

squash

wad

pledget

push

push down

grip

purse

👛

zip

strangulate

mash

ram

🐏

constriction

jam

concentrate

abbreviate

grasp

pack together

crowd together

oppress

tighten

clamp

🗜️

tamp

fomentation

overrun

package

📦

packing

press down

pressed

press on

repress

restrain

restrict

roll up

run over

set

shrivel

smash

smooth

steamroller

stifle

strangle

summarise

thrust

tie

make a dent

touch

tuck in

fit into

force down

hold tight

make tight

pack in

blow against

retracter

press tightly together

make flat

fill full

make brief

bend inward

make hard

nip

afflict

aggrieve

application

astringe

blow

boil down

chagrin

clasp

clip

clutch

compaction

compression

confine

constrain

constricting

constrictor

contraction

crowd

crumple

curtail

curve

cut

decrease

digest

draw together

dressing

fill

foment

give

grab

grieve

implant

infold

insert

insist

lace

lessen

level

load down

make smaller

contain

overcrowd

Translations

komprimieren

comprimir

compresse

comprimeren

comprimer

Kompresse

compresa

verdichten

apretar

oprimir

Pronounced as (IPA)

/kəmˈpɹɛs/

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English: compressen

In summary

From Middle English compressen, from Old French compresser, from Late Latin compressare (“to press hard/together”), from Latin compressus, the past participle of comprimō (“to compress”), itself from com- (“together”) + premō (“press”).