compressive

[ kuhm-pres-iv ]

/ kəmˈprɛs ɪv /

Save This Word!

adjective

compressing; tending to compress.

QUIZ

CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?

There are grammar debates that never die; and the ones highlighted in the questions in this quiz are sure to rile everyone up once again. Do you know how to answer the questions that cause some of the greatest grammar debates?

Question 1 of 7

Which sentence is correct?

His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of compressive

1375–1425; late Middle English. See compress, -ive

OTHER WORDS FROM compressive

com·pres·sive·ly, adverbnon·com·pres·sive, adjectivenon·com·pres·sive·ly, adverb

Words nearby compressive

compression ignition, compression-ignition engine, compression molding, compression ratio, compression wave, compressive, compressor, comprimario, comprise, comprised, comprize

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use compressive in a sentence

The compressive fabric, a soft, breathable blend of 87 percent polyester and 13 percent elastane, holds its shape and resists pilling even after multiple washes.
The Best Women’s Winter Workout Gear of 2022|jversteegh|October 26, 2021|Outside Online
The compressive stress parallel to the fibres causes them to buckle or bend as in an endwise compressive test.
The Mechanical Properties of Wood|Samuel J. Record
Even a four-kilometre deposit might reduce the effective resistance of the crust to compressive forces, by 10 per cent.
The Birth-Time of the World and Other Scientific Essays|J. (John) Joly
The downward deflection of the crust is of course an outcome of the same compressive stresses which elevate the mountain.
The Birth-Time of the World and Other Scientific Essays|J. (John) Joly

It has long been inferred that compressive stress in the crust must be a primary condition of these movements.
The Birth-Time of the World and Other Scientific Essays|J. (John) Joly
The compressive resistance of the longitudinal rods stressed to their elastic limit.
Some Mooted Questions in Reinforced Concrete Design|Edward Godfrey

British Dictionary definitions for compressive

compressive

/ (kəmˈprɛsɪv) /

adjective

compressing or having the power or capacity to compress

Derived forms of compressive

compressively, adverb

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