n.
Pronunciation: ' pres
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English presse, from Anglo-French, from presser to press
Date: 13th century
1 a : a crowd or crowded condition : THRONG b : a thronging or crowding forward or together
2 a : an apparatus or machine by which a substance is cut or shaped, an impression of a body is taken, a material is compressed, pressure is applied to a body, liquid is expressed, or a cutting tool is fed into the work by pressure b : a building containing presses or a business using presses
3 : CLOSET , CUPBOARD
4 a : an action of pressing or pushing : PRESSURE b : an aggressive pressuring defense employed in basketball often over the entire court area
5 : the properly smoothed and creased condition of a freshly pressed garment <out of press >
6 a : PRINTING PRESS b : the act or the process of printing c : a printing or publishing establishment
7 a : the gathering and publishing or broadcasting of news : JOURNALISM b : newspapers, periodicals, and often radio and television news broadcasting c : news reporters, publishers, and broadcasters d : comment or notice in newspapers and periodicals <is getting a good press >
8 : any of various pressure devices (as one for keeping sporting gear from warping when not in use)
9 : a lift in weight lifting in which the weight is raised to shoulder height and then smoothly extended overhead without assist from the legs ― compare CLEAN AND JERK , SNATCH