compression

[ kuhm-presh-uhn ]
See synonyms for compression on Thesaurus.com
noun
  1. the act of compressing: When performing CPR, give 30 chest compressions at a rate of 100 to 120 compressions per minute.

  2. the state of being compressed, or the effect, result, or consequence of being compressed: Compression of the nerves can lead to tingling and numbness farther down the arm.

  1. (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.

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

adjective
  1. Computers. relating to the process of reducing the storage space required for data by changing its format: Experiments show that this approach can effectively improve the compression ratio of existing codes.

  2. being or relating to a type of medical garment that provides pressure and support, reduces swelling, promotes circulation, holds tissue in place, etc.: Ask your doctor if compression stockings would help the swelling in your legs.After surgery, it may be necessary to wear a compression garment.Compression sleeves are an important part of lymphedema management.

Origin of compression

1
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin compressiōn-, stem of compressiō; equivalent to compress + -ion
  • Rarely com·pres·sure [kuhm-presh-er] /kəmˈprɛʃ ər/ (for defs. 1, 2).

Other words from compression

  • com·pres·sion·al, adjective
  • non·com·pres·sion, noun
  • o·ver·com·pres·sion, noun
  • pre·com·pres·sion, noun
  • su·per·com·pres·sion, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use compression in a sentence

  • A compressional wave of air had been started in the far north and had spread out over the earth with the velocity of sound.

  • The first indication of an earthquake is often a sharp thud, signaling the arrival of compressional waves.

    Earthquakes | Kaye M. Shedlock

British Dictionary definitions for compression

compression

/ (kəmˈprɛʃən) /


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

  2. 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

Scientific definitions for compression

compression

[ kəm-prĕshən ]


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

  2. 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.

  1. 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.

The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Cultural definitions for compression

compression

The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.