From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:
Pressure \Pres"sure\ (?; 138), n. [OF., fr. L. pressura, fr.
premere. See 4th {Press}.]
1. The act of pressing, or the condition of being pressed;
compression; a squeezing; a crushing; as, a pressure of
the hand.
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2. A contrasting force or impulse of any kind; as, the
pressure of poverty; the pressure of taxes; the pressure
of motives on the mind; the pressure of civilization.
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Where the pressure of danger was not felt.
--Macaulay.
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3. Affliction; distress; grievance.
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My people's pressures are grievous. --Eikon
Basilike.
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In the midst of his great troubles and pressures.
--Atterbury.
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4. Urgency; as, the pressure of business.
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5. Impression; stamp; character impressed.
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All saws of books, all forms, all pressures past.
--Shak.
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6. (Mech.) The action of a force against some obstacle or
opposing force; a force in the nature of a thrust,
distributed over a surface, often estimated with reference
to the amount upon a unit's area.
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7. Electro-motive force.
[Webster 1913 Suppl.]
{Atmospheric pressure}, {Center of pressure}, etc. See under
{Atmospheric}, {Center}, etc.
{Back pressure} (Steam engine), pressure which resists the
motion of the piston, as the pressure of exhaust steam
which does not find free outlet.
{Fluid pressure}, pressure like that exerted by a fluid. It
is a thrust which is normal and equally intense in all
directions around a point. --Rankine.
{Pressure gauge}, a gauge for indicating fluid pressure; a
manometer.
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From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:
Atmospheric \At`mos*pher"ic\, Atmospherical \At`mos*pher"ic*al\,
a. [Cf. F. atmosph['e]rique.]
1. Of or pertaining to the atmosphere; of the nature of, or
resembling, the atmosphere; as, atmospheric air; the
atmospheric envelope of the earth.
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2. Existing or occurring in the atmosphere.
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The lower atmospheric current. --Darwin.
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3. Caused, or operated on, by the atmosphere; as, an
atmospheric effect; an atmospheric engine.
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4. Dependent on the atmosphere. [R.]
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In am so atmospherical a creature. --Pope.
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{Atmospheric engine}, a steam engine whose piston descends by
the pressure of the atmosphere, when the steam which
raised it is condensed within the cylinder. --Tomlinson.
{Atmospheric line} (Steam Engin.), the equilibrium line of an
indicator card. Steam is expanded "down to the atmosphere"
when its pressure is equal to that of the atmosphere. (See
{Indicator card}.)
{Atmospheric pressure}, the pressure exerted by the
atmosphere, not merely downwards, but in every direction.
In amounts to about 14.7 Ibs. on each square inch.
{Atmospheric railway}, one in which pneumatic power, obtained
from compressed air or the creation of a vacuum, is the
propelling force.
{Atmospheric tides}. See under {Tide}.
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From WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006) [wn]:
atmospheric pressure
n 1: the pressure exerted by the atmosphere [syn: {atmospheric
pressure}, {air pressure}, {pressure}]
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