compressor

American  

[kuhm-pres-er] / kəmˈprɛs ər /

noun

compressors plural

1. a person or thing that compresses.

2. Anatomy. a muscle that compresses some part of the body.

3. Surgery. an instrument for compressing a part of the body.

4. a pump or other machine for reducing volume and increasing pressure of gases in order to condense the gases, drive pneumatically powered machinery, etc.

5. Electronics. a transducer that produces an output with a range of voltages whose ratio is smaller than that of the range of the input signal.

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compressor British  

/ kəmˈprɛsə /

noun

1. any reciprocating or rotating device that compresses a gas

2. the part of a gas turbine that compresses the air before it enters the combustion chambers

3. any muscle that causes compression of any part or structure

4. a medical instrument for holding down a part of the body

5. an electronic device for reducing the variation in signal amplitude in a transmission system Compare expander compander

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• compressors
  plural

Etymology

Origin of compressor

First recorded in 1745–55; compress + -or ²

Explanation

A compressor is a type of pump that provides power by increasing the pressure on air or another gas. Most gas stations use compressors to provide air for their customers to fill their tires. Compressors are used in a wide variety of ways. Pneumatic power tools, like nail guns, have built-in compressors, as do tools used for spray-painting cars, dental instruments, and even the machinery used to make artificial snow at ski resorts. When this term was first used, around 1785, it referred to a specific surgical instrument, from the Latin root comprimere, "to squeeze."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

compressor compressors

Silent refrigerators and easy on/off TVs: California resident Jo Pitesky says she dreams of refrigerators that don’t wake you up at night as the compressor cycles on and off.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 1, 2026

The outside air can be used to boil the refrigerant, allowing the cycle to repeat: the compressor squeezes it and makes it super-hot again, ready to heat more radiator water.

From BBC ● Mar. 22, 2026

It wasn’t easy: The half-ton compressor needed to drive the team’s large pneumatic drill was too heavy for their helicopter.

From Science Magazine ● Dec. 2, 2024

But for Chris specifically, I remember he had this Shellac 7-inch where the insert was like their recording setup, with a drawing of every microphone and every compressor.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 15, 2024

Looking in his refrigerator—the compressor had long since ceased working—he found a dubious cube of margarine.

From "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?" by Philip K. Dick

Other potential big-ticket items include the jet-engine-size gas turbines used to drive the LNG trains’ compressors.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 8, 2026

It recently raised $20 million and expects to start building its first compressors in Long Beach later this year.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 22, 2026

Capturing the gas requires an expensive system of pipelines, compressors and other infrastructure that can cost more than the gas is worth.

From Salon ● Sep. 4, 2025

Customs officials say they made the discovery while examining two air compressors - departing in a cargo shipment to Japan on 27 March - which drew suspicions due to their unusual texture and weight.

From BBC ● Apr. 8, 2024

Supplies were loaded onto trucks and flatbeds, and orders were called in for air compressors and movable work platforms.

From "Frightful's Mountain" by Jean Craighead George