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

This allows the turbine to operate without a mechanical compressor.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 4, 2026

The systems sit near the electric meter and are about the size of an air-conditioning compressor unit.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 3, 2026

To serve this seemingly insatiable market, Karman has developed a rotating compressor that spins at 30,000 revolutions per minute — nearly 10 times faster than traditional compressors — to move heat.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 22, 2026

"On top I've got an eight-gallon water tank. I fill it up, pump it with an air compressor, and I can take a shower out in the wild. At least I have somewhere to live."

From BBC ● Jun. 30, 2025

He shows me how to hold it, how I need to keep my arms strong for the kickback, then he turns on the air compressor and gets in position to hold the wire.

From "Wayward Creatures" by Dayna Lorentz

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

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

A new study calculates that U.S. oil and natural gas wells, pipelines and compressors are spewing three times more methane as the government thinks.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 10, 2024

Sale items included a row of 12 forklifts, industrial sized air compressors, a small sea of lawn furniture and, in the crafts tent, handmade wooden birdhouses of every size and description.

From Seattle Times ● Mar. 12, 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