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Synonyms

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

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of pressure cooker

First recorded in 1910–15

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Pressure cooker: Auerbach worked with Alan Alda during the height of "M*A*S*H" and negotiated transformative TV deals for Bill Cosby, selling "The Cosby Show" to NBC.

From Los Angeles Times • May 17, 2015