pressure cooker

American  

Or pressure-cooker

noun

1. a reinforced pot, usually of steel or aluminum, in which soups, meats, vegetables, etc., may be cooked quickly in heat above boiling point by steam maintained under pressure.

2. any situation, job, assignment, etc., in which a person is faced with urgent responsibilities or demands by other people, constant deadlines, or a hectic work schedule.

---

pressure cooker British  

noun

1. a strong hermetically sealed pot in which food may be cooked quickly under pressure at a temperature above the normal boiling point of water

2. informal  a trainee student attending a shortened qualifying course

---

Etymology

Origin of pressure cooker

First recorded in 1910–15

Example Sentences

This win is an important hurdle to overcome, one which should serve them well with the pressure cooker turning up a notch from now on.

From BBC

The trend is the product of a variety of forces that turn the NFL’s worst teams into pressure cookers.

From The Wall Street Journal

Said LaPoma, “We knew it was important then, but it didn’t seem to be the wild pressure cooker situation it is now.”

From The Wall Street Journal

Now, they are about to enter the pressure cooker again.

From BBC

This process is known as pyrolysis and takes place in facilities akin to homemade pressure cookers, often in rural backwaters.

From BBC