compress

[ verb kuhm-pres; noun kom-pres ]

verb (used with object)

1. to press together; force into less space.

   Synonyms: constrict, squeeze, condense

   Antonyms: lay, expand

2. to cause to become a solid mass:

   to compress cotton into bales.

3. to condense, shorten, or abbreviate:

   The book was compressed by 50 pages.

4. Computers. to reduce the storage space required for (data) by changing its format:

   The algorithm should compress the video file without losing any quality.

noun

1. Medicine/Medical. a soft, cloth pad held in place by a bandage and used to provide pressure or to supply moisture, cold, heat, or medication.
2. an apparatus for compressing cotton bales.
3. a warehouse for storing cotton bales before shipment.

compress

verb

1. tr to squeeze together or compact into less space; condense
2. computing to apply a compression program to (electronic data) so that it takes up less space

noun

1. a wet or dry cloth or gauze pad with or without medication, applied firmly to some part of the body to relieve discomfort, reduce fever, drain a wound, etc
2. a machine for packing material, esp cotton, under pressure

Derived Forms

• comˈpressibleness, noun
• comˈpressible, adjective
• comˈpressibly, adverb

Other Words From

• com·pressi·ble adjective
• com·pressi·bly adverb
• com·pressing·ly adverb
• noncom·pressi·ble adjective
• over·com·press verb (used with object)
• precom·press verb (used with object)
• uncom·pressi·ble adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of compress¹

1350–1400; (v.) Middle English (< Middle French compresser ) < Late Latin compressāre, frequentative of Latin comprimere to squeeze together ( com-, press ¹ ); (noun) < Middle French compresse, noun derivative of the v.

Word History and Origins

Origin of compress¹

C14: from Late Latin compressāre, from Latin comprimere, from premere to press

Synonym Study

See contract.

Example Sentences

A hot or cold compress may ease pain, though finding out which works better could require some trial and error, ­Adams says.

From Washington Post

No one wants to go fishing for a warm compress when their arm hurts.

From Popular-Science

Unlike MP3 and other digitally compressed formats, no audio quality is lost when pressing a record.

From TruthBeTold.news

At this point, we might want to offer the Prof a cold compress, along with an eye roll.

From The Daily Beast

Winds can either compress other clouds, heating them up and making stars, or break those clouds up.

From The Daily Beast

Injuries within the chest cavity may not be readily visible to medics, and are difficult to compress, King said.

From The Daily Beast

It also agreed to buy industrial equipment used to compress the gas for the pipelines from a company owned by Chesapeake.

From The Daily Beast

Was it tough to compress a 700-page book into a two-hour movie?

From The Daily Beast

The second operation is to compress this gas which is done by an upward stroke of the piston as shown at Fig. 5, B.

From Project Gutenberg

Such is the wonderful story which we have endeavored to compress within the limits of these brief pages.

From Project Gutenberg

All that I can compress within the limits of a single lecture, by way of its elucidation, it shall be my aim to accomplish.

From Project Gutenberg

Another difficulty has been to compress the volume into the small limits desired by the family.

From Project Gutenberg

All the passions play their part freely, nor do the rules of propriety compress any feeling with the Greeks.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• abbreviate
• constrict
• cram
• restrict
• shorten
• shrink
• squeeze
• wrap