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

“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 • Mar. 31, 2026

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

From Barron's • Mar. 30, 2026

Kedrosky argued that Nvidia’s gross margins, which stood at 73% in the most recent quarter, will by necessity have to compress, for two reasons.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 16, 2026

Software is now trading at its lowest multiple in over a decade, according to Bank of America, but that doesn’t mean it’s a buy; BofA sees potential for multiples to compress further.

From Barron's • Feb. 20, 2026

The nurse at Jamison puts a bandage over the laceration and asks me to hold an icy compress on my wound, which I do.

From "Counting by 7s" by Holly Goldberg Sloan

Related Words

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