What does "compress" mean?
A multiply folded piece of cloth, a pouch of ice, etc., used to apply to a patient's skin, cover the dressing of wounds, and placed with the aid of a bandage to apply pressure on an injury.
Compress
/kəmˈpɹɛs/ noun, verb
noun, verb ·Common ·Middle school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A multiply folded piece of cloth, a pouch of ice, etc., used to apply to a patient's skin, cover the dressing of wounds, and placed with the aid of a bandage to apply pressure on an injury.
- Grammar: compress is listed as noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: compact, press, squeeze, abbreviate.
- Useful contrasts: agonizing, bellied, bloated.
- Usage evidence: Apply a compress to the affected part every two hours.
How to use "compress"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "compress" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "compress" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "compress" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "compress" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "compress" is acting as noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "compact" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "compress", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A multiply folded piece of cloth, a pouch of ice, etc., used to apply to a patient's skin, cover the dressing of wounds, and placed with the aid of a bandage to apply pressure on an injury.
"He held a cold compress over the sprain."
- 2 a cloth pad or dressing (with or without medication) applied firmly to some part of the body (to relieve discomfort or reduce fever) wordnet
- 3 A machine for compressing.
Verb
- 1 To make smaller; to press or squeeze together, or to make something occupy a smaller space or volume. transitive
"The force required to compress a spring varies linearly with the displacement."
- 2 squeeze or press together wordnet
- 3 To be pressed together or folded by compression into a more economic, easier format. intransitive
"Our new model compresses easily, ideal for storage and travel"
- 4 make more compact by or as if by pressing wordnet
- 5 To condense into a more economic, easier format. transitive
"This chart compresses the entire audit report into a few lines on a single diagram."
Show 4 more definitions
- 6 To abridge. transitive
"If you try to compress the entire book into a three-sentence summary, you will lose a lot of information."
- 7 To make digital information smaller by encoding it using fewer bits. transitive
"The command-line tool gzip allows you to compress files in a few different ways. First, gzip can compress results from standard input."
- 8 To make a pulse or particle bunch shorter by applying dispersion to it. transitive
"Diffraction gratings are by far the most common elements used to stretch and compress pulses because of their substantial angular dispersion, […]"
- 9 To embrace sexually. obsolete
"This nymph compreſs'd by him vvho rules the day, / VVhom Delphi and the Delian iſle obey, / Andræmon lov'd; and, bleſs'd in all thoſe charms / That pleas'd a God, ſucceeded to her arms."
Example
"Apply a compress to the affected part every two hours."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "compress"?
Common synonyms include: compact, press, squeeze, abbreviate, abridge, abridge.
How do you use "compress" in a sentence?
Apply a compress to the affected part every two hours.
How do you pronounce "compress"?
Pronounced /kəmˈpɹɛs/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
From Middle English compressen, from Old French compresser, from Late Latin compressare (“to press hard/together”), from Latin compressus, the past participle of comprimō (“to compress”), itself from com- (“together”) + premō (“press”).
Etymology 2
From Middle French compresse, from compresse (“to compress”), from Late Latin compressare (“to press hard/together”), from Latin compressus, the past participle of comprimō (“to compress”), itself from com- (“together”) + premō (“press”).