| The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language: Fourth Edition. 2000. |
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| press1 |
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| PRONUNCIATION: |  pr s |
| VERB: | Inflected forms: pressed, press·ing, press·es
| | TRANSITIVE VERB: | 1. To exert steady weight or force against; bear down on. 2a. To squeeze the juice or other contents from. b. To extract (juice, for example) by squeezing or compressing. 3a. To reshape or make compact by applying steady force; compress. b. To iron (clothing, for example). 4. To clasp in fondness or politeness. 5. To try to influence, as by insistent arguments; importune or entreat: He pressed her for a reply. 6. To urge or force to action; impel. 7. To place in trying or distressing circumstances; harass or oppress. 8. To move (keys on a computer keyboard, for example) by applying pressure. 9. To lay stress on; emphasize. 10. To advance or carry on vigorously: “Far from backing down, he pressed the attack” (Justin Kaplan). 11. To put forward importunately or insistently: press an argument. 12. To make (a phonograph record or videodisc) from a mold or matrix. 13. Sports To lift (a weight) to a position above the head without moving the legs. | | INTRANSITIVE VERB: | 1. To exert force or pressure. 2. To weigh heavily, as on the mind. 3. To advance eagerly; push forward. 4. To require haste; be urgent. 5. To iron clothes or other material. 6. To assemble closely and in large numbers; crowd. 7. To employ urgent persuasion or entreaty. 8. Sports To raise or lift a weight in a press. 9. Basketball To employ a press. | | NOUN: | 1. Any of various machines or devices that apply pressure. 2. Any of various machines used for printing; a printing press. 3. A place or establishment where matter is printed. 4. The art, method, or business of printing. 5a. The collecting and publishing or broadcasting of news; journalism in general. b. The entirety of media and agencies that collect, publish, transmit, or broadcast the news. c. The people involved in the media, as news reporters, photographers, publishers, and broadcasters. d. Commentary or coverage especially in print media: “Like the pool hall and the tattoo parlor, the motorcycle usually gets a bad press” (R.Z. Sheppard). 6. The act of gathering in large numbers or of pushing forward. 7. A large gathering; a throng. See synonyms at crowd1. 8a. The act of applying pressure. b. The state of being pressed. 9. The haste or urgency of business or matters. 10. The set of proper creases in a garment or fabric, formed by ironing. 11. Chiefly Northeastern U.S. An upright closet or case used for storing clothing, books, or other articles. 12. A viselike device for keeping a racket from warping. 13. Sports A lift in weightlifting in which the weight is raised to shoulder level and then steadily pushed straight overhead without movement of the legs. 14. Basketball An aggressive defense tactic in which players guard opponents closely, often over the entire court. | | IDIOMS: | go to press To be submitted for printing. in press Submitted for printing; in the process of being printed. pressed for time In a hurry; under time pressure. press the flesh Informal To shake hands and mingle with many people, especially while campaigning for public office. | | ETYMOLOGY: | Middle English pressen, from Old French presser, from Latin press re, frequentative of premere, to press. See per-4 in Appendix I.
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| The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition. Copyright © 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by the Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. |
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