Decompression

noun

noun ·4 syllables ·Uncommon ·Advanced level

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    The process of decompressing. uncountable, usually

    "The decompression of large data files may take a while."

  2. 2
    relieving pressure (especially bringing a compressed person gradually back to atmospheric pressure) wordnet
  3. 3
    The restoration to atmospheric pressure of a person who has spent time under higher pressure (such as a diver). uncountable, usually
  4. 4
    restoring compressed information to its normal form for use or display wordnet
  5. 5
    A mode of operation of some internal combustion engines which reduces the engine's compression ratio, making it easier to start but significantly increasing fuel consumption. uncountable, usually
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  1. 6
    The relief of pressure on a body part by surgery. uncountable, usually

Synonyms

All synonyms
decompressing

Example

More examples

"Decompression sickness, or "the bends," is a buildup of nitrogen bubbles in the bloodstream and other areas of the body."

Etymology

From de- + compression.

Related phrases

abdominal decompressiondecompression bombdecompression buoydecompression chamberdecompression illnessdecompression partydecompression scheduledecompression sicknessdecompression stopdecompression tabledecompression trapezeexplosive decompression

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Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.