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- Dictionarypress/prɛs/
verb
- 1. move or cause to move into a position of contact with something by exerting continuous physical force: "he pressed his face to the glass" Similar push (down)press downthumbdepressbear down onlean onlowerpinpinionhold downforceramthrustcramsqueezecompresswedgeclasphold closehugcuddlesqueezecrushenfoldclutchgraspembrace
- ▪ exert continuous physical force on (something), typically in order to operate a device: "he pressed a button and the doors slid open"
- ▪ squeeze (someone's arm or hand) as a sign of affection: "Winnie pressed his hand" Similar squeezegive something a squeezegripclutchpinch
- ▪ move in a specified direction by pushing: "the mob was still pressing forward" Similar clustergatherconvergecongregateflockpush forwardswarmthrongcrowdseethesurgerush
- ▪ (of an enemy or opponent) attack persistently and fiercely: "their enemies pressed in on all sides"
- ▪ continue in one's action: "he stubbornly pressed on with his work"
- 2. apply pressure to (something) to flatten, shape, or smooth it, typically by ironing: "she pressed her nicest blouse" Similar smoothironsmooth outremove creases fromput creases insteamcalender
- ▪ apply pressure to (a flower or leaf) between sheets of paper in order to dry and preserve it. Similar flattenmake flatsmooth out
- ▪ extract (juice or oil) by crushing or squeezing fruit, vegetables, etc.: "the best olive oils are pressed from hand-picked olives"
- ▪ squeeze or crush (fruit, vegetables, etc.) to extract the juice or oil: "the small seeds of sesame are chiefly pressed for their oil" Similar crushsqueezesquashcompressmashpulpreduceclamppack downtampcondensecompacttramplestamptreadgrindmillpoundpulverizemacerate
- ▪ manufacture (something, especially a record) by moulding under pressure: "the record was pressed in two runs of 500 copies"
- 3. forcefully put forward (an opinion, claim, or course of action): "Rose did not press the point" Similar pleadurgeadvance insistentlyfilepreferlodgetenderpresentplacelaysubmitput forward
- ▪ make strong efforts to persuade or force (someone) to do something: "when I pressed him for precise figures he evaded the subject" Similar urgepressureput pressure onpressurizeforcedriveimpelpushcoercenaglean onprevail ondragoon intosteamroller intobrowbeat intouse strong-arm tactics onhave someone do somethinginformal:put the heat onput the screws ontwist someone's armrailroad intobulldoze intopressurizepressurepushgoaddragoonsteamrollerbrowbeatimportunewheedlecajoleswayarguetalkinformal:railroadbulldozecallaskclamourpushmake a claimcampaigninsist ondemand
- ▪ insist that (someone) accepts an offer or gift: "he pressed dinner invitations on her"
- ▪ (of time) be in short supply, necessitating immediate action: "she was almost 45 years old and time was pressing"
- ▪ have barely enough of something, especially time: "I'm terribly pressed for time"
- ▪ have difficulty doing or achieving something: "they may be hard pressed to keep their promise"
- 4. raise (a specified weight) by lifting it to shoulder height and then gradually pushing it upwards above the head.
- 5. try too hard to achieve distance with a shot, at the risk of inaccuracy.
noun
- 1. a device for applying pressure to something in order to flatten or shape it or to extract juice or oil: "a flower press"
- ▪ a machine that applies pressure to a workpiece by means of a tool, in order to punch shapes.
- 2. a printing press. Similar printing pressprinting machine
- ▪ a business that prints or publishes books: "the Clarendon Press" Similar publishing housepublishing companyprinting establishment/firm/business/house
- 3. newspapers or journalists viewed collectively: "the incident was not reported in the press" Similar the mediathe newspapersthe papersthe news mediajournalismthe newspaper worldthe newspaper businessthe print mediathe fourth estatejournalistsnewspapermennewsmennewspaper womenreporterscolumnistscommentariatpressmenpresswomeninformal:journoshackshackettesnewshoundsnewsiesdated:publicistsFleet Street
- ▪ coverage in newspapers and magazines: "there's no point in demonstrating if you don't get any press" Similar reportspress treatmentpress coveragepress reportingpress articlespress reviewspress write-ups
- 4. an act of pressing something: "the system summons medical help at the press of a button"
- ▪ a closely packed crowd or mass of people or things: "among the press of cars he saw a taxi"
- ▪ pressure of business. dated
- ▪ any of various forms of close guarding by the defending team.
- 5. an act of raising a weight to shoulder height and then gradually pushing it upwards above the head.
- 6. a large cupboard: Scottish, Irish "the necessary linen was kept in a large press, and in another was the silver plate and several sets of china"
Word Origin Middle English: from Old French presse (noun), presser (verb), from Latin pressare ‘keep pressing’, frequentative of premere.
Scrabble Points: 7
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