Dictionary
Thesaurus
Encyclopedia
Translator
Web
Related Searches
Synonyms
Nearby Words

compressional

 - 5 dictionary results

com⋅pres⋅sion

  [kuhm-presh-uhn]
Use compressional in a Sentence
–noun
1. the act of compressing.
2. the state of being compressed.
3. the effect, result, or consequence of being compressed.
4. (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.
5. Also called data compression. reduction of the storage space required for data by changing its format.
Also, com⋅pres⋅sure  [kuhm-presh-er] (for defs. 1, 2).

Origin:
1350–1400; ME (< AF) < L compressiōn- (s. of compressiō), equiv. to compress(us) ptp. of comprimere to press together (see com-, press 1 ) + -iōn- -ion

Related forms:
com⋅pres⋅sion⋅al, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To compressional
com·pres·sion   (kəm-prěsh'ən)   
n.  

    1. The act or process of compressing.

    2. The state of being compressed.

    3. The process by which the working substance in a heat engine, such as the vapor mixture in the cylinder of an internal-combustion engine, is compressed.

    4. The engine cycle during which this process occurs.

    1. The process by which the working substance in a heat engine, such as the vapor mixture in the cylinder of an internal-combustion engine, is compressed.

    2. The engine cycle during which this process occurs.

  3. Computer Science The process by which data is compressed into a form that minimizes the space required to store or transmit it.

com·pres'sion·al adj.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source
Medical Dictionary

Main Entry: com·pres·sion
Pronunciation: k&m-'presh-&n
Function: noun
: the act, process, or result of compressing especially wheninvolving a compressing force on a bodily part <compression of an artery by forceps> <compression of the brain by the bones of a depressed fracture>
Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, © 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
Cite This Source
Medical Dictionary

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

  1. See condensation.

  2. The state of being compressed.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Cite This Source
Science Dictionary
compression   (kəm-prěsh'ən)  Pronunciation Key 

  1. A force that tends to shorten or squeeze something, decreasing its volume.

  2. 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.

  3. 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.


The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source
Search another word or see compressional on Thesaurus | Reference
FacebookTwitterFollow us:
Partner Sites:
Ask AnswersEviteExpediaHotelsHotwireLife123LiveDailyMy Way