compress

American  

[kuhm-pres, kom-pres] / kəmˈprɛs, ˈkɒm prɛs /

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.

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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 British  

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

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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

Related Words

See contract.

Other Word Forms

• compressible adjective
• compressibleness noun
• compressibly adverb
• compressingly adverb
• noncompressible adjective
• overcompress verb (used with object)
• precompress verb (used with object)
• uncompressible adjective

Etymology

Origin of compress

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.

Example Sentences

In the compressed world of a 988 call, in which both counselor and caller are strangers with little information to go on besides the words they exchange, the potential for miscommunication is high.

From Los Angeles Times

Reilly added that while price action in the sector is undoubtedly negative, it should be viewed through the lens of higher Treasury bond yields, which have compressed valuations even as earnings expectations have improved.

From Barron's

“We spent years developing the mathematical theory required to compress a neural network without losing its reasoning capabilities,” said Hassibi, chief executive of the venture.

From The Wall Street Journal

The new process essentially compresses the time between a registration statement becoming public and the eventual IPO, according to accounting expert Robert Willens.

From Barron's

Rising yields, elevated inflation, and increasing credit spreads are expected to compress S&P 500 multiples.

From Barron's

Related Words

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