press

/pɹɛs/

verb 17
noun 12
forms 9
phrases 10

verb17

to push hard on or against something, using weight or strength
To activate a button or key by exerting a downward or forward force on it, and then releasing it.
To compress, squeeze.
•
To force to a certain end or result; to urge strongly.
- The two gentlemen who conducted me to the island were pressed by their private affairs to return in three days. — 1726
•
To try to force (something upon someone).
- He press'd a letter upon me within this hour. — 1681
•
To urge, beseech, entreat.
- God heard their prayers, wherein they earnestly pressed him for the honor of his great name. — 1825
To reduce to a particular shape or form by pressure, especially flatten or smooth.
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.
To drive or thrust by pressure, to force in a certain direction.
•
To force weight away from the body by extending the arms or legs.
- Start with two weights on the floor. Grab one with your right hand, then curl or clean it to your shoulder, then press it overhead. — 2026
To throng, crowd.
•
To clasp, hold in an embrace.
- With tears and smiles she took her son, and press'd / Th' illustrious infant to her fragrant breast. — 1701
To hasten, urge onward.
•
To lay stress upon.
- If we read but a very little, we naturally want to press it all; if we read a great deal, we are willing not to press the whole of what we read, and we learn what ought to be pressed and what not. — 1873
•
To force into service, particularly into naval service.
- The peaceful peasant to the wars is press'd. — 1697
•
(no longer used) To weigh upon, oppress, trouble.
- He turns from us; / Alas, he weeps too! Something presses him / He would reveal, but dare not. Sir, be comforted. — 1621
(no longer used) To print.

noun12

•
An instance of applying pressure; an instance of pressing.
- Connecting to the service is almost idiot proof and takes just a few button presses. — 2004
•
The print-based media (both the people and the newspapers).
- This article appeared in the press.
A device used to apply pressure to an item.
•
A printing machine.
- Stop the presses!
A publisher.
•
An exercise in which weight is forced away from the body by extension of the arms or legs.
- This is the fourth set of benchpresses. There will be five more; then there will be five sets of presses on an inclined bench[…]. — 1974
•
A crowd.
- And he sought to see Jesus who he was; and could not for the press, because he was little of stature. — 1611
•
An enclosed storage space (e.g. closet, cupboard).
- Put the cups in the press.
- Put the ironing in the linen press.
•
A commission to force men into public service, particularly into the navy.
- I have misused the king's press. — 1597
•
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.
•
Pure, unfermented grape juice.
- I would like some Concord press with my meal tonight.
•
In personology, any environmental factor that arouses a need in the individual.
- The environmental comfort category is illustrative of cases in which there are low environmental presses matched against a number of personal competences. — 2009

forms

press'd · pressed · prest · pressedst · pressing · depresseth · presses · presseth · pressest

Phrases with press