I. ˈpres 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
II. verb
Etymology: Middle English, from Anglo-French presser, from Latin pressare, frequentative of premere to press; probably akin to Russian na peret' to press
Date: 14th century
transitive verb
1. : to act upon through steady pushing or thrusting force exerted in contact : squeeze
2.
a. : assail , harass
b. : afflict , oppress
3.
a. : to squeeze out the juice or contents of
b. : to squeeze with apparatus or instruments to a desired density, smoothness, or shape
4.
a. : to exert influence on : constrain
b. : to try hard to persuade : beseech , entreat
5. : to move by means of pressure
6.
a. : to lay stress or emphasis on
b. : to insist on or request urgently
7. : to follow through (a course of action)
8. : to clasp in affection or courtesy
9. : to make (a phonograph record) from a matrix
intransitive verb
1. : to crowd closely : mass
2. : to force or push one's way
3. : to seek urgently : contend
4. : to require haste or speed in action
5. : to exert pressure
6. : to take or hold a press
7. : to employ a press in basketball
• press·er noun
•
- press the flesh
III. verb
Etymology: alteration of obsolete prest to enlist by giving pay in advance
Date: 1578
transitive verb
1. : to force into service especially in an army or navy : impress
2.
a. : to take by authority especially for public use : commandeer
b. : to take and force into any usually emergency service
intransitive verb
: to impress men as soldiers or sailors
IV. noun
Date: 1599
1. : impressment into service especially in a navy
2. obsolete : a warrant for impressing recruits