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compressed

 - 7 dictionary results

com⋅pressed

[kuhm-prest]
–adjective
1. pressed into less space; condensed: compressed gases.
2. pressed together: compressed lips.
3. flattened by or as if by pressure: compressed wallboard.
4. Zoology, Botany. flattened laterally.

Origin:
1325–75; ME; see compress, -ed 2


com⋅press⋅ed⋅ly, adverb


1. expanded.

com⋅press

[v. kuhm-pres; n. kom-pres]
–verb (used with object)
1. to press together; force into less space.
2. to cause to become a solid mass: to compress cotton into bales.
3. to condense, shorten, or abbreviate: The book was compressed by 50 pages.
–noun
4. 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.
5. an apparatus for compressing cotton bales.
6. a warehouse for storing cotton bales before shipment.

Origin:
1350–1400; (v.) ME (< MF compresser) < LL compressāre, freq. of L comprimere to squeeze together (see com-, press 1 ); (n.) < MF compresse, n. deriv. of the v.


com⋅press⋅i⋅ble, adjective
com⋅press⋅i⋅bly, adverb
com⋅press⋅ing⋅ly, adverb


1. condense, squeeze, constrict. See contract.


1. expand, spread.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To compressed
com·press   (kəm-prěs')   
tr.v.   com·pressed, com·press·ing, com·press·es
  1. To press together: compressed her lips.

  2. To make more compact by or as if by pressing.

  3. Computer Science To transform (data) to minimize the space required for storage or transmission: compressed the file so that it could be downloaded efficiently.

n.   (kŏm'prěs')
  1. Medicine 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.

  2. A machine for compressing material.


[Middle English compressen, from Old French compresser, from Late Latin compressāre, frequentative of Latin comprimere : com-, com- + premere, to press; see per-4 in Indo-European roots.]
com·pressed   (kəm-prěst')   
adj.  
  1. Pressed together or into less volume or space.

  2. Biology Flattened, especially laterally or lengthwise, as certain leafstalks or the bodies of many fishes.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Word Origin & History

compress 
c.1380, "to press (something) together," from O.Fr. compresser, from L. compressare "to press together," frequentative of comprimere "to squeeze," from com- "together" + premere "to press" (see press (v.1)). The noun, in the surgical sense, is from 1599.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Medical Dictionary

Main Entry: 2com·press
Pronunciation: 'käm-"pres
Function: noun
1 : a covering consisting usually of a folded cloth that isapplied and held firmly by the aid of a bandage over a wound dressing to prevent oozing
2 : a folded wet or dry cloth applied firmly to a part (as to allay inflammation)
Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, © 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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Medical Dictionary

compress com·press (kŏm'prěs')
n.
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. v. com·pressed, com·press·ing, com·press·es (kəm-prěs')
To press or squeeze together.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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