v. & n.
v. 1 tr. a exert pressure on from opposite or all sides, esp. in order to extract moisture or reduce size. b compress with one's hand or between two bodies. c reduce the size of or alter the shape of by squeezing. 2 tr. (often foll. by out) extract (moisture) by squeezing. 3 a tr. force (a person or thing) into or through a small or narrow space. b intr. make one's way by squeezing. c tr. make (one's way) by squeezing. 4 tr. a harass by exactions; extort money etc. from. b constrain; bring pressure to bear on. c (usu. foll. by out of) obtain (money etc.) by extortion, entreaty, etc. d Bridge subject (a player) to a squeeze. 5 tr. press (a person's hand) with one's own as a sign of sympathy, affection, etc. 6 tr. (often foll. by out) produce with effort (squeezed out a tear).
n. 1 an instance of squeezing; the state of being squeezed. 2 Brit. a close embrace. 3 a crowd or crowded state; a crush. 4 a small quantity produced by squeezing (a squeeze of lemon). 5 a sum of money extorted or exacted, esp. an illicit commission. 6 Econ. a restriction on borrowing, investment, etc., in a financial crisis. 7 an impression of a coin etc. taken by pressing damp paper, wax, etc., against it. 8 (in full squeeze play) a Bridge leading winning cards until an opponent is forced to discard an important card. b Baseball hitting a ball short to the infield to enable a runner on third base to start for home as soon as the ball is pitched. put the squeeze on colloq. coerce or pressure (a person). squeeze bottle a flexible container whose contents are extracted by squeezing it. squeeze-box sl. an accordion or concertina. squeezable adj. squeezer n.
[ earlier squise, intensive of obs. queise, of unkn. orig. ]