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compress

[verb kuhm-pres; noun kom-pres]
verb (used with object)
  1. to press together; force into less space.
  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.
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Origin of compress

1350–1400; (v.) Middle English (< Middle French compresser) < Late Latin compressāre, frequentative of Latin comprimere to squeeze together (see com-, press1); (noun) < Middle French compresse, noun derivative of the v.
Related formscom·press·i·ble, adjectivecom·press·i·bly, adverbcom·press·ing·ly, adverbnon·com·pres·si·ble, adjectiveo·ver·com·press, verb (used with object)pre·com·press, verb (used with object)un·com·press·i·ble, adjective

Synonyms

1. condense, squeeze, constrict.

Synonym study

1. See contract.

Antonyms

1. expand, spread.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

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Historical Examples

British Dictionary definitions for compressible

compress

verb (kəmˈprɛs)
  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 (ˈkɒmprɛs)
  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
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Derived Formscompressible, adjectivecompressibleness, nouncompressibly, adverb

Word Origin

C14: from Late Latin compressāre, from Latin comprimere, from premere to press
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

Word Origin and History for compressible

compress

v.

late 14c., "to press (something) together," from Old French compresser "compress, put under pressure," from Latin compressare "to press together," frequentative of comprimere "to squeeze," from com- "together" (see com-) + premere "to press" (see press (v.1)). Related: Compressed; compressing.

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compress

n.

1590s in the surgical sense, from compress (v.).

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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
compressible in Medicine

compress

(kŏm′prĕs′)
n.
  1. A soft pad of gauze or other material applied with pressure to a part of the body to control hemorrhage or to supply heat, cold, moisture, or medication to alleviate pain or reduce infection.
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v.
  1. To press or squeeze together.
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The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.