[a. OF. compresse-r, ad. L. compressā-re to press together, oppress, freq. of comprimĕre to press together, restrain, check, etc., f. com- together + premĕre to press. As compress also coincides with the ppl. stem compress- of comprimĕre (from which stem the Eng. repr. of a L. verb is most frequently formed), it is treated as the Eng. repr. of comprimĕre and mod.F. comprimer, of which the direct adaptation COMPRIME has not endured in the language.]
1. To press together, to squeeze: a. separate things.
c. 1400. Lanfranc’s Cirurg. (MS. A.), 125. A þinne clout wet in þe white of an ey, & sumwhat þe white compressed out.
1482. Monk of Evesham (Arb.), 23. They sawe … hys lyppys a lytyl to moue with his chekys compressyd as he had resceyued or swelowde sum swete thing fallyn in to hys mowth.
1704. Newton, Optics, II. i. Compressing two prisms hard together.
1768. Sterne, Sent. Journ., ‘Temptation,’ Paris. She gave me both her hands, closed together, into mine: it was impossible not to compress them in that situation.
1781. Cowper, Retirement, 495. In a parlour snug and small … The man of business and his friends compressed.
b. a hollow thing, so as to make it of smaller capacity.
1398. Trevisa, Barth. De P. R., V. xxiv. (1495), 133. The free passage of the ayre … is forbode and lette by wryngynge and compressynge of the Ysophagus.
1615. Crooke, Body of Man, 287. The muscles called Cremesteres which compresse the leading Vessels.
1660. Boyle, New Exp. Phys. Mech., xx. 146. The Vessel … was … struck … with a Wooden Mallet, and thereby was manifestly compress’d, whereby the inclosed Water was crouded into less room.
1797. Bewick, Brit. Birds (1847), I. p. x. Tin tubes were found to be broken, compressed, and distorted.
1833. Brewster, Nat. Magic, ii. 19. The retina at the protruded part will be compressed by the outward pressure of the contained fluid.
c. Surg. To close by compression.
1804. Med. Jrnl., XII. 545. The instrument … seems to be well adapted for compressing the humeral artery, or any other that can be easily pressed against a bone.
1836. Marryat, Japhet, liii. My professional knowledge saved his life. I compressed the artery.
2. To press (a substance) together closely; to squeeze together, so as to make more firm and solid.
c. 1400. Lanfranc’s Cirurg., 128. In þe firste caas dura mater is compressed.
1645. Digby, Nat. Bodies, xxxv. § 4. Stiff bodies, that by violence are compress’d and drawn into a less capacious figure.
1684. T. Burnet, Th. Earth, I. 147. If the rain fell upon even and level ground, it would only sadden and compress it.
1789. W. Buchan, Dom. Med. (1790), 605. A pretty large piece of sponge may be compressed or squeezed into a small size.
1835. Ure, Philos. Manuf., 182. The slivers again assume the form of bands of slubbing, and are then passed between a pair of rollers to compress them.
b. Physics. To condense a gaseous or other elastic body by pressure so that it decreases in bulk without loss of mass.
1677. Hale, Prim. Orig. Man., II. xi. 240. Air compressed … breaks the Vessel wherein it is compressed.
1794. Sullivan, View Nat., II. 127. A large quantity of air, whose spring being compressed in little room.
1858. Lardner, Hand-bk. Nat. Phil., 152. The water … compresses the air and produces a reaction which opens the valves.
1863. Tyndall, Heat, iv. 140. By … powerful means we can compress water, but the force necessary to accomplish this is very great.
3. fig. To reduce into smaller volume (as if by pressure): a. things material.
1833. Brewster, Nat. Magic, vi. 142. Some ships were elevated to twice their proper height, while others were compressed almost to a line.
1839–40. W. Irving, Wolfert’s R. (1855), 33. How I longed to be able to compress my form into utter littleness.
b. Language, thoughts, etc.; to condense.
1746. Melmoth, Pliny, I. xvi. (R.). The same strength of expression, though more compressed, runs through his historical harangues.
1793. Burke, Corr. (1844), IV. 149. To enable me properly to compress and digest my thoughts.
1837. Carlyle, Fr. Rev., III. I. v. 27. These, greatly compressing themselves, shall speak, each an instant.
1856. Sir B. Brodie, Psychol. Inq., I. ii. 44. What I have to say … cannot be compressed into a very few words.
4. fig. To condense, concentrate.
1800. Med. Jrnl., IV. 551. I compressed them into one dose three times a day.
1851. Nichol, Archit. Heav., 59. The size of the mirror is only the measure of its power to collect and compress feeble rays of light.
1863. Geo. Eliot, Romola, I. xvii. The eager theorising of ages is compressed … in the momentary want of a single mind.
1877. Tyndall, in Daily News, 2 Oct., 2/4. We have … terror, hope, sensation, calculation, possible ruin, and victory compressed into a moment.
† 5. fig. To repress, keep under restraint. Obs.
1526. Pilgr. Perf. (W. de W., 1531), 115 b. Compresse thy passyon by scylence & kepe it in the that it passe not thy mouth.
1579. Lyly, Euphues (Arb.), 145. The greatest wisedome in Socrates in compressing his anger, is worthy great commendation.
1658. Ussher, Ann., VI. 483. Hierax compressed the mutiny, by paying the souldiers arreares out of his own purse.
1847. Grote, Hist. Greece, II. xxvi. (1862), III. 17. Who … compressed under his sceptre a large proportion of these ferocious … plunderers.
† 6. To embrace sexually. Obs.
c. 1611. Chapman, Iliad, Pref. (1857), 69. A virgin of that isle compressed by that Genius.
1652. Gaule, Magastrom., 351. Rhea Sylvia … a vestall, being compressed and found with child.
1700. Dryden, Fables, Ceyx & Alcyone, 494. They bill, they tread: Alcyone compress’d Sev’n days sits brooding on her floating nest.
1725. Pope, Odyss., I. 95. Neptune … in his cave the yielding nymph compress’d.
