compressed air

American

noun

air compressed, especially by mechanical means, to a pressure higher than the surrounding atmospheric pressure.

compressed air British

noun

air at a higher pressure than atmospheric pressure: used esp as a source of power for machines

"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 compressed air

First recorded in 1660–70

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.

StarChase uses compressed air to launch a GPS tracker from a police vehicle onto a fleeing car.

From Los Angeles Times • May 7, 2026

Vanguard also will include a floating structure on the surface of the water to transport compressed air, power the vessel, and allow for communication with the outside world.

From Barron's • Oct. 29, 2025

"Another factor that comes into play is that we are powering this robot with compressed air," Qing says.

From Science Daily • Dec. 4, 2024

Don’t use a hair dryer or compressed air on your phone.

From Seattle Times • Feb. 29, 2024

Except Star Trek, of course, because they used hyposprays to deliver medication directly through the skin in compressed air streams.

From "Darius the Great Is Not Okay" by Adib Khorram

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023