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.

Opposite of

expand, decontract, lengthen, uncompress

Synonyms

press

squeeze

condense

compact

contract

press together

crush

constrict

pack

poultice

stuff

shrink

cram

bandage

abridge

pinch

shorten

flatten

clench

grip

squash

reduce

pledget

push down

push

wad

clamp

🗜️

constriction

pack together

grasp

zip

strangulate

fomentation

tamp

concentrate

ram

🐏

tighten

abbreviate

purse

👛

mash

crowd together

jam

oppress

crowd

clip

contraction

astringe

constrictor

grieve

constricting

Translations

comprimere

komprimieren

comprimir

compresse

comprimeren

comprimer

comprimir

Kompresse

compresa

verdichten

apretar

stringere

pressare

συμπιέζω

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”).