pressurize

verb

pres·sur·ize | \ˈpre-shə-ˌrīz

pressurized; pressurizing

Definition of pressurize

1 : to confine the contents of under a pressure greater than that of the outside atmosphere especially : to maintain near-normal atmospheric pressure in during high-altitude or spaceflight (as by means of a supercharger)

2 : to apply pressure to

3 : to design to withstand pressure

Other Words from pressurize Example Sentences Learn More about pressurize

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Examples of pressurize in a Sentence

A pump is used to pressurize the fuel. The system that pressurizes the airplane's cabin failed to operate correctly. Don't let them pressurize you to do anything you don't want to do.

Recent Examples on the Web

That’s because airplanes are pressurized so people can survive in the thin atmosphere at the tremendous heights where planes travel. — Martin Finucane, BostonGlobe.com, "It’s extremely rare to get sucked out of an airplane window. But here’s how it would work," 17 May 2018 Another improvement: The cabin is pressurized to about 6,000 feet, Lee said. — Catharine Hamm, latimes.com, "Singapore Airlines reintroducing nonstop LAX-Singapore flights," 11 July 2018 As of this writing, astronaut Jeff Williams is equalizing the pressure between the BEAM and ths ISS, but the habitat is stable after being sucessfully expanded and pressurized. — Jay Bennett, Popular Mechanics, "Watch NASA Inflate a New Room for the ISS Live (Updated)," 26 May 2016 Some experts warned if the cave where the boys are trapped is pressurized, then drilling a hole could simply have sucked water levels higher. — Jake Maxwell Watts, WSJ, "What Lies Beneath? Vague Mapping Complicates Thai Cave Rescue," 8 July 2018 On the Falcon 9, the COPVs sit inside the propellant tanks and keep them pressurized during flight. — Loren Grush, The Verge, "Here’s how Elon Musk might use rocket thrusters on the new Tesla Roadster," 16 June 2018 Since last week, workers have been attempting to de-pressurize the wells by pouring thousands of gallons of cold water into them. — Megan Geuss, Ars Technica, "In Hawaii, lava continues its creep onto grounds of geothermal power plant," 27 May 2018 While in the chamber, patients breathe in pure oxygen, typically pressurized to about twice the density of sea-level air; in this environment, the lungs take in about 10 times as much oxygen as under normal conditions. — David Kohn, Washington Post, "Could hyperbaric treatment heal the brain?," 27 Jan. 2018 As the plane ascends, the level of oxygen decreases, which can cause rapid decompression for an aircraft that is not pressurized in the same way as a commercial airplane. — Celine Hacobian, Time, "Here's How High Planes Actually Fly, According to Experts," 27 June 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'pressurize.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.