v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Compressed p. pr & vb. n. Compressing. ] [ L. compressus, p. p. of comprimere to compress: com- + premere to press. See Press. ] 1. To press or squeeze together; to force into a narrower compass; to reduce the volume of by pressure; to compact; to condense; as, to compress air or water. [ 1913 Webster ]

Events of centuries . . . compressed within the compass of a single life. D. Webster. [ 1913 Webster ]

The same strength of expression, though more compressed, runs through his historical harangues. Melmoth. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To embrace sexually. [ Obs. ] Pope. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. (Computers) to reduce the space required for storage (of binary data) by an algorithm which converts the data to a smaller number of bits while preserving the information content. The compressed data is usually decompressed to recover the initial data format before subsequent use. [ PJC ]

Syn. -- To crowd; squeeze; condense; reduce; abridge. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ F. compresse. ] (Surg.) A folded piece of cloth, pledget of lint, etc., used to cover the dressing of wounds, and so placed as, by the aid of a bandage, to make due pressure on any part. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. 1. Pressed together; compacted; reduced in volume by pressure. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Bot.) Flattened lengthwise. [ 1913 Webster ]

Compressed-air engine, an engine operated by the elastic force of compressed air. [ 1913 Webster ]

. A cake yeast made by filtering the cells from the liquid in which they are grown, subjecting to heavy pressure, and mixing with starch or flour. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

n. [ Cf. F. compressibilité. ] The quality of being compressible of being compressible; as, the compressibility of elastic fluids. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Cf. F. compressible. ] Capable of being pressed together or forced into a narrower compass, as an elastic or spongy substance. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The quality of being compressible; compressibility. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. compressio: cf. F. compression. ] 1. The act of compressing, or state of being compressed. “Compression of thought.” Johnson. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Computers) reduction of the space required for storage (of binary data) by an algorithm which converts the data to a smaller number of bits while preserving the information content. The act of compressing { 3 }. Compression may be lossless compression, in which all of the information in the original data is preserved, and the original data may be recovered in form identical to its original form; or lossy compression, in which some of the information in the original data is lost, and decompression results in a data form slightly different from the original. Lossy compression is used, for example, to compress audio or video recordings, and sometimes images, where the slight differences in the original data and the data recovered after lossy compression may be imperceptable to the human eye or ear. The JPEG format is produced by a lossy compression algorithm. [ PJC ]

. A projectile constructed so as to take the grooves of a rifle by means of a soft copper band firmly attached near its base or, formerly, by means of an envelope of soft metal. In small arms the modern projectile, having a soft core and harder jacket, is subjected to compression throughout the entire cylindrical part. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

a. [ Cf. F. compressif. ] Compressing, or having power or tendency to compress; as, a compressive force. [ 1913 Webster ]