Compress

How to spell compress

8 letters · 2 syllables

How to pronounce compress

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does compress mean?

1. verbTo press or squeeze something into a smaller space, or to reduce the size of data.
2. nounA soft pad or cloth pressed against the body to relieve pain, swelling, or bleeding.

Compress in a sentence

• verb

  The software can compress large video files for faster uploading.

• noun

  The nurse applied a cold compress to reduce the swelling.

• verb

  Engineers compress the gas until it turns to liquid.

• noun

  A warm compress can ease the ache in tired muscles.

Where does compress come from?

Language of origin: Latin

This word traces back to the Latin verb comprimere, which meant 'to press together' or 'to squeeze', built from the prefix com- meaning 'together' and premere meaning 'to press'. The form English actually inherited comes from the later Latin frequentative compressare, which entered Old French as compresser before crossing into English in the late 1300s. Early uses were medical and physical, describing the act of pressing a wound or squeezing matter into a smaller space. The same premere root sits behind a whole family of familiar words including 'press', 'pressure', 'express' and 'impress', so the doubled meaning of forcing things together runs right through them. The single s in com- and the double s of press explain the spelling: it is com plus press, not 'compres'.

How the word is built

• com- (together)
• press (from Latin pressare: to press)