compression

[ kuh m-presh-uh n ]

/ kəmˈprɛʃ ən /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR compression ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

the state of being compressed.

the effect, result, or consequence of being compressed.

(in internal-combustion engines) the reduction in volume and increase of pressure of the air or combustible mixture in the cylinder prior to ignition, produced by the motion of the piston toward the cylinder head after intake.

Also called data compression. Computers. reduction of the storage space required for data by changing its format.

RELATED WORDS

confining

Nearby words

Also com·pres·sure

[kuh m-presh-er] /kəmˈprɛʃ ər/ (for defs 1, 2).

Origin of compression

1350–1400; Middle English (< Anglo-French) < Latin compressiōn- (stem of compressiō), equivalent to compress(us) past participle of comprimere to press together (see com-, press¹) + -iōn- -ion

Related forms

com·pres·sion·al, adjectivenon·com·pres·sion, nouno·ver·com·pres·sion, nounpre·com·pres·sion, noun

su·per·com·pres·sion, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for compression

A short-story writer (his “The Evils of Spain” could be read along with this book), Pritchett was a master of compression.
Book Bag: Paul Theroux’s Favorite Inner-Journey Travel Books|Paul Theroux|May 14, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Allen Guelzo's new history of the civil war, Fateful Lightning, is a masterpiece of compression.
David's Book Club: Fateful Lightning|David Frum|January 19, 2013|DAILY BEAST
He insisted they were just the result of “literary license” and “compression,” suggesting Relin was complicit.
The Death of Co-Author of ‘Three Cups of Tea’ Is Ruled Suicide|Michael Daly|December 6, 2012|DAILY BEAST
Now observe a mass first subjected to compression, and next to tension.
Inventors at Work|George Iles

Compression of the artery makes no difference in the size or tension of the swelling.
Manual of Surgery|Alexis Thomson and Alexander Miles
The compression around my chest was like that of a tightening band of iron.
Swept Out to Sea|W. Bertram Foster
The fifteenth point concerns steel in compression in reinforced concrete columns or beams.
Some Mooted Questions in Reinforced Concrete Design|Edward Godfrey
This compression will be vastly increased through the simultaneous opening of the eight circular speaking ports SP.
The Recent Revolution in Organ Building|George Laing Miller

British Dictionary definitions for compression

compression

/ (kəmˈprɛʃən) /

noun

Also called: compressure (kəmˈprɛʃə) the act of compressing or the condition of being compressed

an increase in pressure of the charge in an engine or compressor obtained by reducing its volume

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 compression

compression

c.1400, from Middle French compression (14c.), from Latin compressionem (nominative compressio) "a pressing together," noun of action from past participle stem of comprimere (see compress (v.)). Related: Compressional. Compressional wave is attested from 1887.

Medicine definitions for compression

compression

[ kəm-prĕsh′ən ]

n.

condensation

The state of being compressed.

Science definitions for compression

compression

[ kəm-prĕsh′ən ]

A force that tends to shorten or squeeze something, decreasing its volume.

The degree to which a substance has decreased in size (in volume, length, or some other dimension) after being or while being subject to stress. See also strain.

The re-encoding of data (usually the binary data used by computers) into a form that uses fewer bits of information than the original data. Compression is often used to speed the transmission of data such as text or visual images, or to minimize the memory resources needed to store such data.

Culture definitions for compression

compression

See data compression.