English
press
see also: Press
Pronunciation
  • (British, America) IPA: /pɹɛs/
Etymology 1

From Middle English presse, partially from Old English press (from Medieval Latin pressa) and from Old French presse (Modern French presse) from Old French presser, from Latin pressāre, from pressus, past participle of premere ("to press").

Noun

press

  1. An instance of applying pressure; an instance of pressing.
  2. (countable) A device used to apply pressure to an item.
    a flower press
  3. (uncountable) A crowd.
    • 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC ↗, Luke 19:3 ↗:
      And he sought to see Jesus who he was; and could not for the press, because he was little of stature.
  4. (countable) A printing machine.
    Synonyms: printing press
    Stop the presses!
  5. (uncountable, collective) The print-based media (both the people and the newspapers).
    according to a member of the press
    This article appeared in the press.
    • 1918, W[illiam] B[abington] Maxwell, chapter XXII, in The Mirror and the Lamp, Indianapolis, Ind.: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, →OCLC ↗:
      From another point of view, it was a place without a soul. The well-to-do had hearts of stone; the rich were brutally bumptious; the Press, the Municipality, all the public men, were ridiculously, vaingloriously self-satisfied.
  6. (countable) A publisher.
  7. (countable, especially in Ireland and Scotland) An enclosed storage space (e.g. closet, cupboard).
    Put the cups in the press.
    Put the ironing in the linen press.
    • 1879, R[ichard] J[efferies], chapter 1, in The Amateur Poacher, London: Smith, Elder, & Co., […], →OCLC ↗:
      But then I had the [massive] flintlock by me for protection. ¶ […] The linen-press and a chest on the top of it formed, however, a very good gun-carriage; and, thus mounted, aim could be taken out of the window at the old mare feeding in the meadow below by the brook, and a 'bead' could be drawn upon Molly, the dairymaid, kissing the fogger behind the hedge, […].
  8. (countable, weightlifting) An exercise in which weight is forced away from the body by extension of the arms or legs.
    • 1974, Charles Gaines, George Butler, Pumping Iron: The Art and Sport of Bodybuilding, page 22:
      This is the fourth set of benchpresses. There will be five more; then there will be five sets of presses on an inclined bench […].
  9. (countable, golf, gambling) An additional bet in a golf match that duplicates an existing (usually losing) wager in value, but begins even at the time of the bet.
    He can even the match with a press.
    • 2012, Gary McCord, Golf For Dummies:
      The way a press works is, say you're two down after six holes; you can then start another bet (in effect another match) from the seventh hole, for the same amount, starting all square on the seventh tee.
    • 2014, Nicolae Sfetcu, Sports Betting, page 181:
      When a side is two or more points down in the match, they may request a press.
  10. (countable) Pure, unfermented grape juice.
    I would like some Concord press with my meal tonight.
  11. A commission to force men into public service, particularly into the navy.
    Synonyms: press-gang
    • c. 1597 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The First Part of Henry the Fourth, […]”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC ↗, [Act IV, scene ii]:
      I have misused the king's press.
  12. (psychology) In personology, any environmental factor that arouses a need in the individual.
    • 2009, Allison E. Smith, Ageing in Urban Neighbourhoods, page 88:
      The environmental comfort category is illustrative of cases in which there are low environmental presses matched against a number of personal competences.
Synonyms Translations Translations Translations Translations Etymology 2

From Middle English pressen, from Old French presser (Modern French presser) from Latin pressāre, from pressus, past participle of premere "to press".

Verb

press (presses, present participle pressing; simple past and past participle pressed)

  1. (ambitransitive) To exert weight or force against, to act upon with force or weight; to exert pressure upon.
  2. (transitive, mechanics, electronics) To activate a button or key by exerting a downward or forward force on it, and then releasing it.
    Synonyms: strike, hit, depress
  3. (transitive) To compress, squeeze.
    Synonyms: thring, thrutch, Thesaurus:compress
    to press fruit for the purpose of extracting the juice
  4. (transitive) To clasp, hold in an embrace.
    Synonyms: hug
    • a. 1701 (date written), John Dryden, “The Last Parting of Hector and Andromache. From the Sixth Book of the Iliad.”, in The Miscellaneous Works of John Dryden, […], volume IV, London: […] J[acob] and R[ichard] Tonson, […], published 1760, →OCLC ↗, page 456 ↗:
      With tears and ſmiles ſhe took her ſon, and preſs'd / Th' illuſtrious infant to her fragrant breaſt.
  5. (transitive) To reduce to a particular shape or form by pressure, especially flatten or smooth.
    to press cloth with a clothes-iron
    to press a hat
  6. (transitive, sewing) To flatten a selected area of fabric using an iron with an up-and-down, not sliding, motion, so as to avoid disturbing adjacent areas.
  7. (transitive) To drive or thrust by pressure, to force in a certain direction.
    Synonyms: thring, thrutch
    to press a crowd back
  8. (transitive, obsolete) To weigh upon, oppress, trouble.
  9. (transitive) To force to a certain end or result; to urge strongly.
    Synonyms: impel
    • 1726 October 27, [Jonathan Swift], Travels into Several Remote Nations of the World. […] [Gulliver's Travels], volume II, London: […] Benj[amin] Motte, […], →OCLC ↗, part III (A Voyage to Laputa, Balnibarbi, Glubbdubdribb, Luggnagg, and Japan):
      The two gentlemen who conducted me to the island were pressed by their private affairs to return in three days.
  10. To try to force (something upon someone).
    Synonyms: urge, inculcate
    to press the Bible on an audience
    • 1681, John Dryden, The Spanish Fryar: Or, the Double Discovery. […], London: […] Richard Tonson and Jacob Tonson, […], →OCLC ↗, Act II, page 27 ↗:
      He press'd a letter upon me within this hour.
    • 1712 (date written), [Joseph] Addison, Cato, a Tragedy. […], London: […] J[acob] Tonson, […], published 1713, →OCLC ↗, Act I, scene i, page 1 ↗:
      Be sure to press upon him every motive.
  11. (transitive) To hasten, urge onward.
    to press a horse in a race
  12. (transitive) To urge, beseech, entreat.
  13. (transitive) To lay stress upon.
    Synonyms: emphasize
  14. (ambitransitive) To throng, crowd.
    Synonyms: thring, thrutch, Thesaurus:assemble
  15. (transitive, obsolete) To print.
  16. To force into service, particularly into naval service.
    Synonyms: press-gang
    • 1697, Virgil, “The First Book of the Georgics”, in John Dryden, transl., The Works of Virgil: Containing His Pastorals, Georgics, and Æneis. […], London: […] Jacob Tonson, […], →OCLC ↗:
      The peaceful peasant to the wars is press'd.
Translations Translations Translations
Press
Proper noun
  1. Surname.


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