long press

American  

Or longpress

noun

1. (on a tablet or smartphone) the act of pressing one's finger down on an icon or other part of the screen for several seconds, as to activate a task or access additional options.

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verb (used with or without object)

1. to press one's finger down for several seconds on (a part of a display screen).

   to long press the home button;

   to long press on the app icon.

Etymology

Origin of long press

First recorded in 1990–95, for an earlier sense

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

long press

Rwanda has long denied any direct support for the M23, and President Paul Kagame did not address the new agreement during a long press conference on Monday in Kigali.

From Barron's ● Aug. 24, 2026

Calling the attorneys’ motion to dismiss “a long press release,” she said the court should “disregard Favre’s diatribe.”

From Washington Times ● Apr. 4, 2023

“Favre’s submission is not a motion to dismiss; it is a long press release,” Pickett wrote in court papers filed Monday.

From Seattle Times ● Mar. 17, 2023

On your phone, look up how to lock your exposure — on the iPhone, you can long press the part of the image you want to expose, and a lock indicator will appear.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 7, 2022

Moreover, the tide would ere long press back the waters towards their source, and but few hours should elapse ere the ocean itself would roll over and obliterate every trace of their intended path.

From Traditions of Lancashire, Volume 2 by John Roby