compress

1.

/kəmˈprɛs/

squeeze or push together

2.

/ˈkɑmprɛs/

a pad or dressing applied firmly to some part of the body

Other forms: compressed; compressing; compresses

The noun compress refers to a pad that's held to your body to reduce pain or symptoms of illness. A washcloth dipped in cold water and pressed onto your forehead to help you cool down is a type of compress.

As a verb, compress means to squeeze together with a fair amount of pressure. When you compress a sponge to get all the water out, you press it between your palms or squish it between your fingers. Compress can also mean to make something more compact — as with the sponge, when you compress an object it gets smaller. You could even compress a speech by cutting it down into a shorter but equally effective version.

Definitions of compress (/kəmˈprɛs/)

1. verb

   squeeze or press together
   “she compressed her lips”

   synonyms: compact, constrict, contract, press, squeeze

   types:

   choke, strangle

   constrict (someone's) throat and keep from breathing

   prim

   contract one's lips

   astringe

   constrict or bind or draw together

   strangulate

   constrict a hollow organ or vessel so as to stop the flow of blood or air

   convulse

   contract involuntarily, as in a spasm

   convulse

   cause to contract

   bear down, overbear

   contract the abdominal muscles during childbirth to ease delivery

   choke, fret, gag

   be too tight; rub or press

   choke, scrag

   wring the neck of

   type of:

   tighten

   become tight or tighter
2. verb

   make more compact by or as if by pressing
   “compress the data”

   synonyms: compact, pack together

   antonyms:

   decompress

   restore to its uncompressed form

   types:

   pack, tamp, tamp down

   press down tightly

   type of:

   force, squeeze, wedge

   squeeze like a wedge into a tight space