| compression (def. 5). |
[kuh
m-presh-uhn] 
| 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. |
A technique in information technology by which the same amount of data is transmitted by using a smaller number of bits; for example, by replacing a string of ten repeated digits with a command to repeat the digit ten times.
Note: Data compression is essential in technologies that transmit things like digitized movies in real time.
compression com·pres·sion (kəm-prěsh'ən)
n.
See condensation.
The state of being compressed.
data compression algorithm
compression. Probably to distinguish it from (electronic) signal compression.
(1995-04-02)