press-gang
noun
: a detachment of men under command of an officer empowered to force men into military or naval service
press-gang
transitive verb
Examples of press-gang in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
When Captain Kidd dispatched a press-gang to find new recruits for the Wager, six members of the gang itself deserted.
—
David Grann, The New Yorker, 28 Feb. 2023
Some are just folks off the street who get kidnapped or press-ganged into service in the navy.
—Sean Woods, Rolling Stone, 16 Apr. 2023
David Grann, The New Yorker, 28 Feb. 2023
Some are just folks off the street who get kidnapped or press-ganged into service in the navy.
—Sean Woods, Rolling Stone, 16 Apr. 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'press-gang.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
First Known Use
1693, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near press-gang
Cite this Entry
“Press-gang.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/press-gang. Accessed 16 Apr. 2024.
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