A doctor applies pressure to this bandage.
Pressure is an application of force by pressing, or an urgent demand or force which can cause stress.
An example of pressure is holding a bandage firmly on an open cut.
pressure
- a pressing or being pressed; compression; squeezing
- a condition of distress; oppression; affliction
- a sense impression caused by or as by compression of a part of the body
- a compelling influence; constraining force: social pressure
- demands requiring immediate attention; urgency
- atmospheric pressure
- blood pressure
- Obs. a mark made by pressing; impression
- Physics force per unit of area: abbrev. P
Origin of pressure
Old French ; from Classical Latin pressura, a pressing (LL(Ec), oppression, affliction) ; from pressus, past participle of premere, to press -·sured, -·sur·ing
- ⌂ to exert pressure, or compelling influence, on
- pressurize
pressure
noun
- a. The act of pressing.b. The condition of being pressed.
- The application of continuous force by one body on another that it is touching; compression.
- Abbr. P Physics Force applied uniformly over a surface, measured as force per unit area.
- Meteorology Atmospheric pressure.
- a. A compelling or constraining influence, such as persuasion or negative attitudes, on the mind or will: felt pressure to conform; peer-group pressure.b. An influence acting as a source of distress or hardship: economic pressures forcing people to work two jobs.c. Sports Sustained, effective play that puts an opponent at a disadvantage: Defensive pressure forced the quarterback to throw interceptions.d. The condition of being subjected to physical, mental, social, or economic distress: doesn't work well under pressure.
- A physical sensation produced by compression of a part of the body.
- Archaic A mark made by application of force or weight; an impression.
transitive verb
pres·sured, pres·sur·ing, pres·sures- To force or try to force, as by influence or persuasion: The salesman pressured us to buy the car right away.
- To pressurize.
- To pressure-cook.
Origin of pressure
Middle English, from Old French, from Latin press&umacron;ra, from pressus, past participle of premere, to press; see per-4 in Indo-European roots.pressure
Noun
(countable and uncountable, plural pressures)
- A pressing; a force applied to a surface.
- Apply pressure to the wound to stop the bleeding.
- A contrasting force or impulse of any kind
- the pressure of poverty; the pressure of taxes; the pressure of motives on the mind; the pressure of civilization.
- Distress.
- She has felt pressure lately because her boss expects her to get the job done by the first.
- Urgency
- the pressure of business
- (physics) The amount of force that is applied over a given area divided by the size of this area.
Verb
(third-person singular simple present pressures, present participle pressuring, simple past and past participle pressured)
Origin
From Old French, from Latin pressūra.
