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compression

[kuh

m-presh-uh

Example Sentences Origin

noun

the act of compressing.

the state of being compressed.

the effect, result, or consequence of being compressed.

(in internal-combustion engines) the reduction in volume and increase of pressure of the air or combustible mixture in the cylinder prior to ignition, produced by the motion of the piston toward the cylinder head after intake.

Also called data compression. reduction of the storage space required for data by changing its format.

Also, com·pres·sure

[kuh

m-presh-er] (for defs. 1, 2).

Origin:
1350–1400; Middle English (< Anglo-French ) < Latin compressiōn- (stem of compressiō), equivalent to compress(us) past participle of comprimere to press together (see com-, press¹) + -iōn- -ion

Related forms

com·pres·sion·al, adjective

non·com·pres·sion, noun

o·ver·com·pres·sion, noun

pre·com·pres·sion, noun

su·per·com·pres·sion, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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Link To compression

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Compression is always a great word to know.

So is commute. Does it mean:

to change a penalty to a less severe one

large and destructive fire

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Example Sentences

Those acquainted with motoring joys and sorrows know that a loss of compression is sometimes hard to find and repair.

In my case, my salary only bumped a small amount due to issues of salary compression within the department during that discussion.

But you could use diesel-style compression ignition with a conventional petrol engine.

EXPAND

Those acquainted with motoring joys and sorrows know that a loss of compression is sometimes hard to find and repair.

In my case, my salary only bumped a small amount due to issues of salary compression within the department during that discussion.

But you could use diesel-style compression ignition with a conventional petrol engine.

It is getting hot because you pump fast and the heat generated at compression cannot escape.

Overall, areas around noisy compression stations had one third fewer birds than quiet sites.

Before computers, this experimental section helped engineers model the effects of compression on the finished bridge's cables.

Detecting the areas of compression is easier with the top than for the tights.

In addition, compression fractures are often responsible for loss of height.

But the compression of the application process poses challenges to counselors.

No one is sure what effect this compression will have.

OrthoLite insoles are self-molding and resistant to compression.

Second, every broadcast medium is moving to a digital format, and digital means data compression.

It should have greater combustion efficiency, higher compression ratios and improved ignition.

Digital satellite radio's compression technology demolishes that constraint.

Conditions that affect connective tissue or cause deposits to form in tissue can block blood flow and lead to nerve compression.

Cell phones use higher compression because of the smaller bandwidth versus a land line.

They whirled in centrifuges, squeezed into compression chambers, and tested the limits of endurance in zero gravity.

Meanwhile, the drum skin moves down and back up again, resulting in another compression.

If the air were highly compressed, it would heat up by the energy of compression.

Multiple compression fractures from osteoporosis can be left alone if there are no nervous system problems or pain.

The bandwidth may prove insufficient, or the digital-rights and compression formats could prove too fiddly.

The muffled explosion's compression reverberates in my ribs.

It is known fact that crude oil is the product of compression and heating of ancient organic materials over extended time periods.

Our readers had a lot to say about their fidelity preferences, compression issues and our omissions.

The color of the compression shorts had to be standardized to go with the team uniforms.

The problem is with burning ethanol in engines built with a compression ratio for gasoline.

It is a compression wave that can be described by its pitch and volume.

Because of its tetrahedral structure, diamond also shows a great resistance to compression.

As the gas approaches the black hole, the compression makes it glow hotter and brighter.

There are other data compression programs available that offer tighter compression and more extensive features.

It's hard to imagine how the enormous waste-heat of air compression could be used effectively.

There are two cylinders that are low on compression.

The compression heats the air and causes it to become saturated with vapor from the liquid.

Which brings us back to the manner of the poor computer's compression.

Some patients with brachial plexopathy may benefit from surgery if nerve compression is the cause of the symptoms.

External pressure or compression can cause inflammation in the ear, leading to increased swelling and redness.

Aging, natural death, and the compression of morbidity.

Chest compression keeps blood flowing, but it does not reoxygenate the blood, as mouth-to-mouth resuscitation does.

With compression and other techniques wireless will do the same.

Rather, it helps prevent fractures, spinal cord compression or other bone problems that can arise as cancers weaken the bones.

Until recently, building prices continued to rise because of a phenomenon known as cap rate compression.

Use compression stockings to decrease chronic swelling.

I've worked with soccer players with head injuries and neck compression injuries from headers they are no joke, believe me.

The researchers also warn against wearing commercial compression stockings.

Compression fractures of the back are broken vertebrae, which are the bones of the spine.

Lossless compression is a type of compression where all the image information is retained but the information is rearranged.

Some people who have been here a long time and thus are victims of salary compression or inversion got a bit.

Compression socks to stimulate circulation-a must for long flights.

The higher capacity comes from a new compression routine that simply packs the music tighter on the disc.

Pneumatic compression devices wrap an inflatable cuff around the legs.

People have reported compression of cervical nerves in the spine leading to bad consequences.

And while you're at it, shoot at your camera's highest-quality compression setting too.

Compression stuff sack features an easy-to-grip integrated handle.

Software and hardware are available that try to sweeten digital sound by putting back what compression has taken out.

It is also really good for addressing lumbar compression and minor back pain.

The chemical steps in the capture consume energy, as do the compression and transport of the carbon dioxide.

Previous e-bomb designs were based on explosively driven magnetic flux compression generators.

And, thanks to its compression algorithms, internet television can be a veritable speed freak.

Compressed air energy storage is quite inefficient because of losses during compression and expansion.

And then there's the bit-mapped nature of digital compression and enlarging.

Wearing compression stockings on the affected area or using a pneumatic compression pump on and off may be helpful.

But at low and medium speeds the engine switches into diesel mode, in which the fuel is ignited by compression and heat alone.

Prokupets is recognized for creating an image compression algorithm for digital images.

The gear loops are genius and the compression straps do a great job keeping the heavy stuff stationary and close to your back.

As the compression is released, the twisted structure unwinds back to its original shape, while the rotor slides.

One early application of the idea involved harnessing the energy in the compression of an elastomer shoe heel.

Improvements to the insulation and compression systems in new refrigerators account for their increased efficiency.

Ammonia is produced by compression of hydrogen with nitrogen.

But its built-in compression and plastic tap are convenient.

The easy access overflow storage is equipped with dual compression straps.

The changes noted in this disease are caused by compression of the anterior brainSome of us are exceptionally intelligent.

The pain of sciatica results from compression of the sciatic nerve, which runs down through the buttocks to the back of the leg.

Compression straps inside and out shrink large loads.

Some cases of carpal tunnel syndrome may be due to enlargement of the median nerve rather than compression by surrounding tissues.

These distributed representations probably also get you some information compression as a bonus.

It is also a remarkable example of poetic compression.

Thomas's death was compression of his chest that left him unable to breathe as police officers held him down and beat him.

Patience, new trajectories and compression programs saved the mission.

Freon systems use an electric motor to achieve compression.

The internal combustion engine can use ammonia fuel with minor modification: higher compression ratio, higher fuel to air ratio.

His relatively small body of work contains music of flinty surfaces and fierce emotional compression.

Alaïa skillfully used exaggeration and compression to shape the silhouette of a.

He suffered two compression fractures of vertebrae, but did not suffer paralysis.

It may be a style better suited to the compression of lyric poetry than to the discursive tendencies of narrative prose.

It pulled strong, despite broken compression rings.

Though they're not exactly fashionable, she recommends wearing compression stockings for three days after each treatment.

The engine's minuscule valves are not yet closing properly, causing the motor to lose compression and stall.

If the riser has been in place for a long time, it's possible that compression ring may not reseat properly.

COLLAPSE

Collins

World English Dictionary

compression (kəmˈprɛʃən)

—n
1.	Also called: compressure the act of compressing or the condition of being compressed
2.	an increase in pressure of the charge in an engine or compressor obtained by reducing its volume

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Cite This Source

Etymonline

Word Origin & History

compression

c.1400, from Fr. compression (14c.), from L. compressionem, noun of action from compress-, pp. stem of comprimere (see compress). Related: Compressional wave (1887).

American Heritage

Medical Dictionary

compression com·pres·sion (kəm-prěsh'ən)
n.

See condensation.
The state of being compressed.

American Heritage

Science Dictionary

compression

(kəm-prěsh'ən) Pronunciation Key

A force that tends to shorten or squeeze something, decreasing its volume.
The degree to which a substance has decreased in size (in volume, length, or some other dimension) after being or while being subject to stress. See also strain.
The re-encoding of data (usually the binary data used by computers) into a form that uses fewer bits of information than the original data. Compression is often used to speed the transmission of data such as text or visual images, or to minimize the memory resources needed to store such data.

American Heritage

Cultural Dictionary

compression definition

See data compression.

FOLDOC

Computing Dictionary

compression definition

1. (Or "compaction") The coding of data to save storage space or transmission time. Although data is already coded in digital form for computer processing, it can often be coded more efficiently (using fewer bits). For example, run-length encoding replaces strings of repeated characters (or other units of data) with a single character and a count. There are many compression algorithms and utilities. Compressed data must be decompressed before it can be used.
The standard Unix compression utilty is called compress though GNU's superior gzip has largely replaced it. Other compression utilties include pack, zip and PKZIP.
When compressing several similar files, it is usually better to join the files together into an archive of some kind (using tar for example) and then compress them, rather than to join together individually compressed files. This is because some common compression algorithms build up tables based on the data from their current input which they have already compressed. They then use this table to compress subsequent data more efficiently.
See also TIFF, JPEG, MPEG, Lempel-Ziv Welch, "lossy", "lossless".
Compression FAQ (ftp://rtfm.mit.edu/pub/usenet/news.answers/compression-faq/).
Web Content Compression FAQ (http://perl.apache.org/docs/tutorials/client/compression/compression.html).
Usenet newsgroups: news:comp.compression, news:comp.compression.research.
2. Reducing the dynamic range of an audio signal, making quiet sounds louder and loud sounds quieter. Thus, when discussing digital audio, the preferred term for reducing the total amount of data is "compaction". Some advocate this term in all contexts.
(2004-04-26)

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