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ENGLISH · A WORD WITH POSSIBILITIES

press.

An instance of applying pressure; an instance of pressing.

5 characters1 syllables approx.English language

Meaning & usage

noun/pɹɛs/Received-Pronunciation, US/pɹes/Australia, New-Zealand/pɾɛs/Scotland, Wales/pɻɛs/Northern-Ireland
  1. An instance of applying pressure; an instance of pressing.

    countable · uncountable
  2. A device used to apply pressure to an item.

    countable
    a flower press
    a cheese press
  3. A crowd.

    uncountable
  4. A printing machine.

    countable
    Stop the presses!
  5. The print-based media (both the people and the newspapers).

    collective · uncountable
    according to a member of the press
    This article appeared in the press.
  6. A publisher.

    countable
  7. An enclosed storage space (e.g. closet, cupboard).

    countable · especially
    Put the cups in the press.
    Put the ironing in the linen press.
  8. An exercise in which weight is forced away from the body by extension of the arms or legs.

    countable
  9. An additional bet in a golf match that duplicates an existing (usually losing) wager in value, but begins even at the time of the bet.

    countable
    He can even the match with a press.
  10. Pure, unfermented grape juice.

    countable
    I would like some Concord press with my meal tonight.
  11. A commission to force men into public service, particularly into the navy.

    countable · uncountable
  12. In personology, any environmental factor that arouses a need in the individual.

    countable · uncountable
Where this word comes from

From Middle English presse (“throng, crowd, clothespress”), partially from Old English press (“clothespress”) (from Medieval Latin pressa) and from Old French presse (Modern French presse) from Old French presser (“to press”), from Latin pressāre, from pressus, past participle of premere (“to press”). Chiefly displaced native Middle English thring (“press, crowd, throng”) (from Old English þring (“a press, crowd, anything that presses or confines”)). see English thring

verb/pɹɛs/Received-Pronunciation, US/pɹes/Australia, New-Zealand/pɾɛs/Scotland, Wales/pɻɛs/Northern-Ireland
  1. To exert weight or force against, to act upon with force or weight; to exert pressure upon.

    ambitransitive
  2. To activate a button or key by exerting a downward or forward force on it, and then releasing it.

    transitive
  3. To compress, squeeze.

    transitive
    to press fruit for the purpose of extracting the juice
  4. To clasp, hold in an embrace.

    transitive
  5. To reduce to a particular shape or form by pressure, especially flatten or smooth.

    transitive
    to press cloth with a clothes-iron
    to press a hat
  6. To flatten a selected area of fabric using an iron with an up-and-down, not sliding, motion, so as to avoid disturbing adjacent areas.

    transitive
  7. To drive or thrust by pressure, to force in a certain direction.

    transitive
    to press a crowd back
  8. To force weight away from the body by extending the arms or legs.

    transitive
  9. To weigh upon, oppress, trouble.

    obsolete · transitive
  10. To force to a certain end or result; to urge strongly.

    transitive
  11. To try to force (something upon someone).

    to press the Bible on an audience
  12. To hasten, urge onward.

    transitive
    to press a horse in a race
  13. To urge, beseech, entreat.

    transitive
  14. To lay stress upon.

    transitive
  15. To throng, crowd.

    ambitransitive
  16. To print.

    obsolete · transitive
  17. To force into service, particularly into naval service.

Where this word comes from

From Middle English pressen (“to crowd, thring, press”), from Old French presser (“to press”) (Modern French presser) from Latin pressāre, from pressus, past participle of premere "to press". Displaced native Middle English thringen (“to press, crowd, throng”) (from Old English þringan (“to press, crowd”)), Middle English thrasten (“to press, force, urge”) (from Old English þrǣstan (“to press, force”)), Old English þryscan (“to press”), Old English þȳwan (“to press, impress”).

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Definitions, grammatical labels, IPA, etymology and examples: Wiktionary contributors, extracted by Kaikki / Wiktextract. Adapted under CC BY-SA 4.0. Selected fields and authored examples are shown; third-party quotations and audio are omitted. See contributor history.

Last enriched 2026-09-10. Definitions are in English. Romanizations are shown when supplied by the source; syllable estimates are omitted for unsupported scripts.