pressure cooker

noun

1
: an airtight utensil for quick cooking or preserving of foods by means of high-temperature steam under pressure
2
: a situation or environment that is fraught with emotional or social pressures
pressure-cook verb

Examples of pressure cooker in a Sentence

The new boss has turned the office into a pressure cooker.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The weight of the sediment had the effect of a slow-motion pressure cooker. Jeffrey Marlow, New Yorker, 5 Apr. 2026 Prosecutors argued that Simon used the pressure cooker lid and hammer to beat Mitchell. Dejanay Booth-Singleton, CBS News, 4 Apr. 2026 Beneath the surface, though, a pressure cooker is quietly building. Kirah Tabourn, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 Mar. 2026 Nothing ever seems to phase the freshman, not a slow start or Auriemma’s frustration or the win-or-go-home pressure cooker of the NCAA Tournament. Emily Adams, Hartford Courant, 22 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for pressure cooker

Word History

First Known Use

1915, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of pressure cooker was in 1915

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Pressure cooker.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pressure%20cooker. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.

Kids Definition

pressure cooker

noun
: a utensil for cooking or preserving foods by means of steam under pressure
pressure-cook
ˌpresh-ər-ˈku̇k
verb

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