n.1 release from compression.
2 a gradual reduction of air pressure on a person who has been subjected to high pressure (esp. underwater).
Phrases and idioms:
decompression chamber an enclosed space for subjecting a person to decompression. decompression sickness a condition caused by the sudden lowering of air pressure and formation of bubbles in the blood: also called caisson disease, the bends (see BEND 14).