Dictionary.com

compress

[ verb kuhm-pres; noun kom-pres ]
/ verb kəmˈprɛs; noun ˈkɒm prɛs /
See synonyms for: compress / compressed on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object)

to press together; force into less space.
to cause to become a solid mass: to compress cotton into bales.
to condense, shorten, or abbreviate: The book was compressed by 50 pages.
Computers. to reduce the storage space required for (data) by changing its format: The algorithm should compress the video file without losing any quality.

noun

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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.

synonym study for compress

1. See contract.

OTHER WORDS FROM compress

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021

Words related to compress

abbreviate, shorten, restrict, wrap, cram, constrict, squeeze, shrink, consolidate, wedge, cramp, crowd, abridge, abstract, ram, reduce, decrease, summarize, crush, shrivel

Example sentences from the Web for compress

British Dictionary definitions for compress

compress

verb (kəmˈprɛs)

(tr) to squeeze together or compact into less space; condense
computing to apply a compression program to (electronic data) so that it takes up less space

noun (ˈkɒmprɛs)

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
a machine for packing material, esp cotton, under pressure

Derived forms of compress

compressible, adjectivecompressibleness, nouncompressibly, adverb

Word Origin for compress

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

Medical definitions for compress

compress
[ kŏm′prĕs′ ]

n.

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.

v.

To press or squeeze together.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.