Press meaning
An example of to press is pushing a button on a blender to make it start.
An example of to press is ironing wrinkles out of a shirt.
An example of to press is to squeeze the juice out of grapes to make wine.
An example of a press is a printing press.
An example of the press is The Washington Post.
Felt the backpack pressing on her shoulders.
Guilt pressed upon his conscience.
Decided to press ahead with the performance even with a sore throat.
Matters that have not stopped pressing.
The supervisor has been pressing to get us to finish the project sooner.
A cider press.
With the press of a button.
The press of the day's events.
To press a gift on a friend.
- To weigh down; bear heavily.
- To go forward with energetic or determined effort.
- To force one's way.
- To crowd; throng.
- To be urgent or insistent.
- To try too hard.He strikes out often because he is pressing.
This fabric presses well.
- (countable) A printing machine.Stop the presses!.
A flower press.
Put the cups in the press.
Put the ironing in the linen press.
He can even the match with a press.
I would like some Concord press with my meal tonight.
To press the Bible on an audience.
If we read but a very little, we naturally want to press it all; if we read a great deal, we are willing not to press the whole of what we read, and we learn what ought to be pressed and what not. (M. Arnold, Literature and Dogma, Pref.)
- To be submitted for printing.
- Submitted for printing; in the process of being printed.
- To bring a formal accusation of criminal wrongdoing against someone.
- In a hurry; under time pressure.
- To shake hands and mingle with many people, especially while campaigning for public office.
- To start to be printed or to begin printing.
Idioms and Phrasal Verbs
Origin of press
- Alteration of obsolete prest to hire for military service by advance payment from Middle English enlistment money, loan from Old French from prester to lend from Medieval Latin praestāre from Latin to furnish from praestō present, at hand ghes- in Indo-European roots
From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition
- Middle English pressen from Old French presser from Latin pressāre frequentative of premere to press per-4 in Indo-European roots
From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition
- Middle English pressen (“to crowd, thring, press"), from Old French presser (“to press") (Modern French presser) from Latin pressÄre 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 þrÇ£stan (“to press, force")), Old English þryscan (“to press"), Old English þȳwan (“to press, impress").
From Wiktionary
- Middle English presse (“throng, crowd, clothespress"), partially from Old English press (“clothespress"), from Medieval Latin pressa, and partially from Old French presse (Modern French presse) from Old French presser (“to press"), from Latin pressÄre from pressus, past participle of premere "to press". Displaced native Middle English thring (“press, crowd, throng") (from Old English þring (“a press, crowd, anything that presses or confines")).
From Wiktionary