n.
Pronunciation: k ə m- ' pre-sh ə n
Function: noun
Date: 15th century
1 a : the act, process, or result of compressing b : the state of being compressed
2 : the process of compressing the fuel mixture in a cylinder of an internal combustion engine (as in an automobile)
3 : the compressed remains of a fossil plant
4 : conversion (as of data, a data file, or a communications signal) in order to reduce the space occupied or bandwidth required
– com · pres · sion · al \ - ' presh-n ə l, - ' pre-sh ə -n ə l \ adjective