to cause to become a solid mass: to compress cotton into bales.
to condense, shorten, or abbreviate: The book was compressed by 50 pages.
Computers. to reduce the storage space required for (data) by changing its format: The algorithm should compress the video file without losing any quality.
noun
Medicine/Medical. a soft, cloth pad held in place by a bandage and used to provide pressure or to supply moisture, cold, heat, or medication.
an apparatus for compressing cotton bales.
a warehouse for storing cotton bales before shipment.
Origin of compress
1350–1400; (v.) Middle English (<Middle French compresser) <Late Latin compressāre, frequentative of Latin comprimere to squeeze together (see com-, press1); (noun) <Middle French compresse, noun derivative of the v.
Unlike MP3 and other digitally compressed formats, no audio quality is lost when pressing a record.
Amid the Music Streaming Rush, a Vinyl Revival|Shirley Carswell|November 11, 2019|TruthBeTold.news
Injuries within the chest cavity may not be readily visible to medics, and are difficult to compress, King said.
New 'Suspended Animation' Procedure Saves Lives by Replacing Blood with a Cold Electrolyte Solution|Elizabeth Lopatto|April 2, 2014|DAILY BEAST
It also agreed to buy industrial equipment used to compress the gas for the pipelines from a company owned by Chesapeake.
How the Kings of Fracking Double-Crossed Their Way to Riches|ProPublica|March 13, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Was it tough to compress a 700-page book into a two-hour movie?
True Detective Director Cary Fukunaga’s Journey from Pro Snowboarder to Hollywood’s Most Wanted|Marlow Stern|February 26, 2014|DAILY BEAST
But we did have to compress time, and we did have to composite some of the characters.
Grant Heslov Is the Robin to George Clooney’s Batman|Andrew Romano|February 7, 2014|DAILY BEAST
In the chapter entitled “New Lands: America and the American Voice” Sutherland tries to compress 400 years into his six pages.
John Sutherland‘s Enjoyable Little History of Literature|Malcolm Forbes|November 29, 2013|DAILY BEAST
This compress on the stomach is an excellent remedy with small children and infants in a restless, feverish condition.
Hydriatic treatment of Scarlet Fever in its Different Forms|Charles Munde
He could see the magnate of Pinchbrook start, compress his lips and clinch his fists, when he found the bird had flown.
The Soldier Boy; or, Tom Somers in the Army|Oliver Optic
Several times, night and day, we wet the compress and readjusted the bands, until all appearances of inflammation had subsided.
Eighty Years And More; Reminiscences 1815-1897|Elizabeth Cady Stanton
There is more power in the compress than any one who is not familiar with its use, can imagine.
Hydriatic treatment of Scarlet Fever in its Different Forms|Charles Munde
Compress in a tablet machine, using 5/16-inch die and punches, to make one hundred 0.18 Gm.
Candy Medication|Bernard Fantus
British Dictionary definitions for compress
compress
verb (kəmˈprɛs)
(tr)to squeeze together or compact into less space; condense
computingto apply a compression program to (electronic data) so that it takes up less space
noun (ˈkɒmprɛs)
a wet or dry cloth or gauze pad with or without medication, applied firmly to some part of the body to relieve discomfort, reduce fever, drain a wound, etc
a machine for packing material, esp cotton, under pressure
A soft pad of gauze or other material applied with pressure to a part of the body to control hemorrhage or to supply heat, cold, moisture, or medication to alleviate pain or reduce infection.