I. ˈskwēz verb
( squeezed -zd ; or dialect squoze -wōz ; squeezed or dialect squoze ; squeezing ; squeezes )
Etymology: earlier squease, alteration of obsolete English quease to press, squeeze, from Middle English queysen, from Old English cwȳsan; akin to Icelandic kveisa stomach cramps
transitive verb
1.
a.
(1) : to exert pressure especially on opposite sides or parts of : press together closely or tightly : compress
nothing to do … but squeeze my friends' knees and drink my wine — Kenneth Roberts
air that had been squeezed up so tight that he could not even move his hand through it very easily — J.B.S.Haldane
(2) : hug
(3) : to pull back on (a trigger) with a steady slow pressure of the finger
b. : to cause to press upon an object
squeezed the upper die smoothly down on the blank — John Craig
c.
(1) : to extract or emit under pressure
squeeze the juice from a lemon
volcanoes formed by lava squeezed out of the earth in an exceedingly viscous condition — Howel Williams
(2) : to bring into a specified state by or as if by pressure
squeeze total budgetary outlays two to five billion dollars below the present level — Cabell Phillips
(3) : to force, thrust, or cause to pass by pressure
squeezes his hand into the hole and grasps the prize — James Stevenson-Hamilton
2.
a.
(1) : to gain (as valuables, services, or advantages) by extortionary means
come to squeeze his land from him in his extremity — Pearl Buck
(2) : to force money, goods, or services from by extortionary means : oppress
to squeeze the peasants, collectivization has been imposed at great cost — New York Times
b. : to cause economic hardship to
breaks in the supply line from the mainland periodically squeeze the islanders — New York Times
not … let the farmer be squeezed by lowered farm prices and high fixed costs — E.T.Benson
c. : to reduce the amount of (profits)
climbing cost of cotton squeezes mill profits — Wall Street Journal
3. : to gain or procure as if by pressure : gain by hard work, adroit maneuvering, close attention to costs, or clever or dubious interpretation of facts
the discount operator can squeeze a profit out of a tiny markup — Advertising Age
hard-working farmers squeeze the last ounce from their holdings — T.H.Fielding
thought that no new information can be squeezed from the premises of a syllogism — W.F.Doney
4.
a. : to crowd into or within a narrow area : cause to appear squeezed
a single street squeezed between the railroad and the canal — American Guide Series: Maryland
a small garage, into which, by much maneuvering he could manage to squeeze eight cars — General Motors Builds Its First 50 Million Cars
b. : to provide room, time, or opportunity for within a narrow compass
brought before the courts every single case he could possibly squeeze within its provisions — Richard Hayward
— often used with in
somewhere in this crowded early life … managed to squeeze in three years of piano lessons — Gilbert Millstein
5. : to gain or win by a narrow margin
just barely squeezed out controlling margins in the two houses of Congress — Cabell Phillips
6. : to constrain (another player) to discard in bridge so as to unguard a suit
7.
a. : to score (a run) by means of a squeeze play
b. : to bring home (a runner) from third base by means of a squeeze play
intransitive verb
1. : to give way before pressure
the corners of a gray cushion squeezed out around his fat back — Earle Birney
2.
a. : to exert physical pressure
b. : to exert economic pressure
would take at least two months for a strike to begin to squeeze — Newsweek
specifically : to practice extortion or oppression
3.
a. : to force a passage : make one's way by pressing
we can all three squeeze into my buggy — Ellen Glasgow
a very stout lady, who could hardly squeeze through the door — Fernando Sabino
b.
(1) : to ease an automotive vehicle into another traffic lane especially in preparation for a narrowed pavement
squeeze to the right
(2) : to ease into another traffic lane
4. : to pass, succeed, gain a victory, or get by narrowly
probably could squeeze through the next five months of lean tax collections — New York Times
a measure squeezed through both houses — R.A.Billington
Synonyms: see press
•
- squeeze the shorts
II. noun
( -s )
1.
a. : an act or instance of squeezing : a firm usually steady and gradually increasing compression of an object especially between two forces
they give a squeeze — not a slap — and exert maximum power only at the end of the stroke
trigger squeeze
b. : a pressing of one person's hand by another's
friendly hands … grasping our pencil-cramped fingers, and giving them a firm squeeze and a hearty shake — Phoenix Flame
also : hug
c.
(1) : the gradual closing of a mine working by the settling of the overlying strata
(2) : a mine area undergoing a squeeze
d. : pressure or forcing caused by the shoving and crowding of a mass of people
with one final squeeze , the crowd behind them pushed them along out of the gate — Dorothy C. Fisher
e. : the pressure with which paper is held against an inked printing surface especially in a printing press
f. : the shrinkage in bulk of set type when subjected to the pressure of the quoins in locking up
the compositor comes to know just how much allowance he should make for squeeze — R.W.Polk
g. : barotrauma
2.
a. : a quantity squeezed or pressed out from something
a squeeze of lemon
b. : a group crowded together : crowd
a squeeze of people — Emily Hahn
especially : a crowded social gathering
dinners, card parties, teas, … and squeezes — C.G.Bowers
c. : a facsimile impression of an object made in a plastic substance by forcing it into the depressions of the object
3. Britain : neck
4. Britain : an article made of silk : silk
5.
a. : a commission charged by an oriental servant for service
the servant won't let the salesman into the house unless he gets his squeeze — Harper's
b.
(1) : an undercover but usually recognized and tolerated profit made especially by an oriental official or middleman on goods or valuables passing through his hands, by an official on government financial transactions, or by anyone in a position that readily lends itself to exploitation
(2) : graft
c. : the practice of extorting squeeze
resorted to squeeze as a means of bringing their income more into proportion to what it cost them to stay alive — Virginia A. Oakes
also : pressure applied to obtain squeeze
the customary squeeze applied to … merchants — Darrell Berrigan
6.
a. : an act or instance of squeezing the shorts
b. : financial pressure caused by a narrowing spread between two factors
the squeeze between low wages and high prices
a squeeze between high costs and stable selling prices
c.
(1) : hardship, inconvenience, or difficulty caused by a shortage
manpower squeeze
housing squeeze
or a tightening of fiscal controls or a withholding of assets
credit squeeze
or an economic blockade
put a squeeze on the city by strict inspection of entering transport
(2) : the exploitation of hardship or inconvenience caused by a squeeze to gain an advantage
d.
(1) : a play or situation in bridge in which one is squeezed — compare end play
(2) : a situation in canasta or rummy in which one must break up a valuable combination in order to retain a safe discard
e. : squeeze play
7. : a device for applying pressure or restraint: as
a. slang : a secret braking device for controlling a wheel of fortune
b. : a device for restraining cattle in a branding chute
III. noun
slang : main squeeze herein