Webster's English Dictionary

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press

1. press \'pres\ n [ME presse, fr. OF, fr. presser to press] 1a: a crowd or 
   crowded condition : THRONG  1b: a thronging or crowding forward or together 
    2a: an apparatus or machine by which a substance is cut or shaped, an 
   impre ssion of a body is taken, a material is compressed, pressure is 
   applied to a body, liquid is expressed, or a cutting tool is fed into the 
   work by pressure 2b: a building containing presses or a business using 
   presses  3: CLOSET, CUPBOARD  4: an act of pressing or pushing : PRESSURE  
   5: the properly smoothed and creased condition of a freshly pressed garment 
    6a: PRINTING PRESS  6b: the act or the process of printing  6c: a printing 
   or publishing establishment  7a: the gathering and publishing or 
   broadcasting of news : JOURNALISM)M 7b: newspapers, periodicals, and often 
   radio and television news broadcasti ng 7c: news reporters, publishers, and 
   broadcasters  7d: comment or notice in newspapers and periodicals  8: any 
   of various pressure devices (as one for keeping sporting gear from w arping 
   when not in use)
2. press vb [ME pressen, fr. MF presser, fr. L pressare, fr. pressusX pp. 
   of premere to press; akin to L prelum press and perh. to Russ peret' to 
   press 1: to act upon through steady pushing or thrusting force exerted in 
   contac t : SQUEEZE 2a: ASSAIL, HARASS  2b: AFFLICT, OPPRESS  3a: to squeeze 
   out the juice or contents of  3b: to squeeze with apparatus or instruments 
   to a desired density, smoothn ess, or shape 4a: to exert influence on : 
   CONSTRAIN  4b: to try hard to persuade : BESEECH, ENTREAT  5: to move by 
   means of pressure  6a: to lay stress or emphasis on  6b: to insist on or 
   request urgently  7: to follow through (a course of action)  8: to clasp in 
   affection or courtesy  9: to make (a phonograph record) from a matrix  1: 
   to crowd closely : MASS  2: to force or push one's way  3: to seek urgently 
   : CONTEND  4: to require haste or speed in action  5: to exert pressure  6: 
   to take or hold a press  - press.er n
3. press vb [alter. of obs. prest (to enlist by giving pay in advance), fr. 
   2Xprest 1: to force into service esp. in the army or navy : IMPRESS  2a: to 
   take by authority esp. for public use : COMMANDEER  2b: to take and force 
   into any usu. emergency service  : to impress men as soldiers or sailors 
4. press n 1: impressment into service esp. in a navy  obs  2: a warrant 
   for impressing recruits