definitions

press into service

Force someone or something to perform or function, as in Can I press you into service to help people find their coats? or The funeral drew such a large crowd that more chairs were pressed into service. This idiom transfers press in the sense of “seize and force someone to serve,” as seamen once were, to other activities. It was first recorded in 1871.

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RELATED WORDS

handle, control, practice, adopt, run, work, wield, utilize, accept, employ, exploit, manage, apply, operate, spend, manipulate, appoint, hire, engage, join

Nearby words

press cupboard, press fastener, press fit, press gallery, press gang, press into service, press kit, press lord, press money, press of sail, press on
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.