pressure cooker

American  

Or pressure-cooker

noun

1. a reinforced pot, usually of steel or aluminum, in which soups, meats, vegetables, etc., may be cooked quickly in heat above boiling point by steam maintained under pressure.

2. any situation, job, assignment, etc., in which a person is faced with urgent responsibilities or demands by other people, constant deadlines, or a hectic work schedule.

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pressure cooker British  

noun

1. a strong hermetically sealed pot in which food may be cooked quickly under pressure at a temperature above the normal boiling point of water

2. informal a trainee student attending a shortened qualifying course

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Etymology

Origin of pressure cooker

First recorded in 1910–15

Example Sentences

This year’s UConn team shows just how well a team can respond when they are handpicked for his pressure cooker.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 3, 2026

Tax preparation is a seasonal business — and a hectic pressure cooker.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 13, 2026

Alicia describes the panto experience as a "little pressure cooker" as they're up against tight turnarounds and short runs.

From BBC • Dec. 30, 2025

She’d been raised on the basketball court in that kind of pressure cooker, shouldering whatever burden was asked of her otherworldly talent.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 14, 2025

By sundown we’d filled dozens of Mason jars, which were set out in perfect rows, still warm from the pressure cooker.

From "Educated" by Tara Westover