Main Entry: ¹com·press

Pronunciation: \kəm-ˈpres\

Function: verb

Etymology: Middle English, from Late Latin compressare to press hard, frequentative of Latin comprimere to compress, from com- + premere to press — more at press

Date: 14th century

transitive verb 1 : to press or squeeze together
2 : to reduce in size, quantity, or volume as if by squeezing <compress a computer file>intransitive verb : to undergo compression

synonyms see contract