hydraulic press

American  

noun

1. a machine permitting a small force applied to a small piston to produce, through fluid pressure, a large force on a large piston.

---

hydraulic press British  

noun

1. a press that utilizes liquid pressure to enable a small force applied to a small piston to produce a large force on a larger piston. The small piston moves through a proportionately greater distance than the larger

---

Etymology

Origin of hydraulic press

First recorded in 1850–55

Example Sentences

Left with no idea how to wrap itself up, “Undertone” throws every one of those horror tropes under a hydraulic press, shoving them together, hoping that the result will be prettier than just polished garbage.

From Salon • Mar. 15, 2026

Boggs shook his fist at the hydraulic press; I shake mine at Sam Altman.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 18, 2025

Last year, Apple apologized after an iPad Pro ad that showed a hydraulic press crushing musical instruments such as a piano and other creative tools before the thin device was revealed, sparked backlash.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 30, 2025

Using a hand-crank press is strenuous work, and because the seeds are high in pectin, it can gum up the mechanics of a commercial hydraulic press.

From Washington Post • Oct. 20, 2021

Without intending to, Galileo had devised an elementary hydraulic press.

From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton