PRESS

Pronunciation (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does press mean? 

• PRESS (noun)
  The noun PRESS has 10 senses:

1. newspaper writers and photographers
2. the state of demanding notice or attention
3. the gathering and publishing of news in the form of newspapers or magazines
4. a machine used for printing
5. a dense crowd of people
6. a tall piece of furniture that provides storage space for clothes; has a door and rails or hooks for hanging clothes
7. clamp to prevent wooden rackets from warping when not in use
8. any machine that exerts pressure to form or shape or cut materials or extract liquids or compress solids
9. a weightlift in which the barbell is lifted to shoulder height and then smoothly lifted overhead
10. the act of pressing; the exertion of pressure

  Familiarity information: PRESS used as a noun is familiar.

• PRESS (verb)
  The verb PRESS has 14 senses:

1. exert pressure or force to or upon
2. force or impel in an indicated direction
3. to be oppressive or burdensome
4. place between two surfaces and apply weight or pressure
5. squeeze or press together
6. crowd closely
7. create by pressing
8. be urgent
9. exert oneself continuously, vigorously, or obtrusively to gain an end or engage in a crusade for a certain cause or person; be an advocate for
10. press from a plastic
11. make strenuous pushing movements during birth to expel the baby
12. press and smooth with a heated iron
13. lift weights
14. ask for or request earnestly

  Familiarity information: PRESS used as a verb is familiar.

 Dictionary entry details 

• PRESS (noun)

Sense 1

press [BACK TO TOP]

Meaning:

Newspaper writers and photographers

Classified under:

Nouns denoting groupings of people or objects

Synonyms:

fourth estate; press

Hypernyms ("press" is a kind of...):

estate; estate of the realm (a major social class or order of persons regarded collectively as part of the body politic of the country and formerly possessing distinct political rights)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "press"):

gutter press (press that engages in sensational journalism (especially concerning the private lives of public figures))

press corps (a group of journalists representing different publications who all cover the same topics)

Sense 2

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Meaning:

The state of demanding notice or attention

Classified under:

Nouns denoting stable states of affairs

Synonyms:

imperativeness; insistency; insistence; press; pressure

Context examples:

the insistence of their hunger / the press of business matters

Hypernyms ("press" is a kind of...):

urgency (the state of being urgent; an earnest and insistent necessity)

Sense 3

press [BACK TO TOP]

Meaning:

The gathering and publishing of news in the form of newspapers or magazines

Classified under:

Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents

Synonyms:

public press; press

Hypernyms ("press" is a kind of...):

print media (a medium that disseminates printed matter)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "press"):

mag; magazine (a periodic publication containing pictures and stories and articles of interest to those who purchase it or subscribe to it)

newspaper; paper (a daily or weekly publication on folded sheets; contains news and articles and advertisements)

free press (a press not restricted or controlled by government censorship regarding politics or ideology)

Sense 4

press [BACK TO TOP]

Meaning:

A machine used for printing

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Synonyms:

printing press; press

Hypernyms ("press" is a kind of...):

machine (any mechanical or electrical device that transmits or modifies energy to perform or assist in the performance of human tasks)

Meronyms (parts of "press"):

bed (the flat surface of a printing press on which the type form is laid in the last stage of producing a newspaper or magazine or book etc.)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "press"):

standing press (a large printing press that exerts pressure vertically)

rotary press (a printing press for printing from a revolving cylinder)

cylinder press; flatbed press (a printing press where the type is carried on a flat bed under a cylinder that holds paper and rolls over the type)

Sense 5

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Meaning:

A dense crowd of people

Classified under:

Nouns denoting groupings of people or objects

Synonyms:

crush; jam; press

Hypernyms ("press" is a kind of...):

crowd (a large number of things or people considered together)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "press"):

snarl-up; traffic jam (a number of vehicles blocking one another until they can scarcely move)

Sense 6

press [BACK TO TOP]

Meaning:

A tall piece of furniture that provides storage space for clothes; has a door and rails or hooks for hanging clothes

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Synonyms:

wardrobe; closet; press

Hypernyms ("press" is a kind of...):

article of furniture; furniture; piece of furniture (furnishings that make a room or other area ready for occupancy)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "press"):

armoire (a large wardrobe or cabinet; originally used for storing weapons)

clothes closet; clothespress (a closet where clothes are stored)

coat closet (a closet for storing outerwear)

Sense 7

press [BACK TO TOP]

Meaning:

Clamp to prevent wooden rackets from warping when not in use

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Hypernyms ("press" is a kind of...):

clamp; clinch (a device (generally used by carpenters) that holds things firmly together)

Sense 8

press [BACK TO TOP]

Meaning:

Any machine that exerts pressure to form or shape or cut materials or extract liquids or compress solids

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Synonyms:

mechanical press; press

Hypernyms ("press" is a kind of...):

machine (any mechanical or electrical device that transmits or modifies energy to perform or assist in the performance of human tasks)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "press"):

winepress (a press that is used to extract the juice from grapes)

punch press (a power driven press used to shape metal parts)

hydraulic press (press in which a force applied by a piston to a small area is transmitted through water to another piston having a large area)

garlic press (a press for extracting juice from garlic)

ciderpress (a press that is used to extract the juice from apples)

cheese press (a press for shaping cheese curd)

Sense 9

press [BACK TO TOP]

Meaning:

A weightlift in which the barbell is lifted to shoulder height and then smoothly lifted overhead

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Synonyms:

military press; press

Hypernyms ("press" is a kind of...):

weightlift; weightlifting (bodybuilding by exercise that involves lifting weights)

Sense 10

press [BACK TO TOP]

Meaning:

The act of pressing; the exertion of pressure

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Synonyms:

pressing; pressure; press

Context examples:

he gave the button a press / he used pressure to stop the bleeding / at the pressing of a button

Hypernyms ("press" is a kind of...):

push; pushing (the act of applying force in order to move something away)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "press"):

impression (the act of pressing one thing on or into the surface of another)

compressing; compression (applying pressure)

decompressing; decompression (relieving pressure)

• PRESS (verb)

Sense 1

press [BACK TO TOP]

Meaning:

Exert pressure or force to or upon

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Context examples:

He pressed down on the boards / press your thumb on this spot

Hypernyms (to "press" is one way to...):

touch (make physical contact with, come in contact with)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "press"):

squeeze (press firmly)

crush; mash; squash; squeeze; squelch (to compress with violence, out of natural shape or condition)

cranch; craunch; crunch; grind (press or grind with a crunching noise)

bear down; bear down on; drag down; press down on; weigh down (exert a force with a heavy weight)

knuckle (press or rub with the knuckles)

push (press against forcefully without moving)

Sentence frames:

Something is ----ing PP
Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something
Somebody ----s something PP
Somebody ----s PP

Sense 2

press [BACK TO TOP]

Meaning:

Force or impel in an indicated direction

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Synonyms:

urge; urge on; press; exhort

Context example:

I urged him to finish his studies

Hypernyms (to "press" is one way to...):

advise; counsel; rede (give advice to)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "press"):

advocate; preach (speak, plead, or argue in favour of)

bear on; push (press, drive, or impel (someone) to action or completion of an action)

hurry; rush (urge to an unnatural speed)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s somebody to INFINITIVE

Sentence examples:

Sam cannot press Sue
They press him to write the letter

Sense 3

press [BACK TO TOP]

Meaning:

To be oppressive or burdensome

Classified under:

Verbs of being, having, spatial relations

Synonyms:

press; weigh

Context examples:

weigh heavily on the mind / Something pressed on his mind

Hypernyms (to "press" is one way to...):

count; matter; weigh (have weight; have import, carry weight)

Sentence frame:

Something is ----ing PP

Sense 4

press [BACK TO TOP]

Meaning:

Place between two surfaces and apply weight or pressure

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Context example:

pressed flowers

Hypernyms (to "press" is one way to...):

flatten; flatten out (become flat or flatter)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "press"):

iron; iron out; press (press and smooth with a heated iron)

calender (press between rollers or plates so as to smooth, glaze, or thin into sheets)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something

Sense 5

press [BACK TO TOP]

Meaning:

Squeeze or press together

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Synonyms:

constrict; compress; contract; compact; press; squeeze

Context examples:

she compressed her lips / the spasm contracted the muscle

Hypernyms (to "press" is one way to...):

tighten (become tight or tighter)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "press"):

choke; scrag (wring the neck of)

choke; fret; gag (be too tight; rub or press)

bear down; overbear (contract the abdominal muscles during childbirth to ease delivery)

convulse (cause to contract)

convulse (contract involuntarily, as in a spasm)

strangulate (constrict a hollow organ or vessel so as to stop the flow of blood or air)

astringe (constrict or bind or draw together)

prim (contract one's lips)

choke; strangle (constrict (someone's) throat and keep from breathing)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Sense 6

press [BACK TO TOP]

Meaning:

Crowd closely

Classified under:

Verbs of walking, flying, swimming

Context example:

The crowds pressed along the street

Hypernyms (to "press" is one way to...):

mass (join together into a mass or collect or form a mass)

Sentence frames:

Something is ----ing PP
Somebody ----s PP

Sense 7

press [BACK TO TOP]

Meaning:

Create by pressing

Classified under:

Verbs of sewing, baking, painting, performing

Context example:

Press little holes into the soft clay

Hypernyms (to "press" is one way to...):

create; make (make or cause to be or to become)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something

Sense 8

press [BACK TO TOP]

Meaning:

Be urgent

Classified under:

Verbs of being, having, spatial relations

Context example:

This is a pressing problem

Hypernyms (to "press" is one way to...):

be (have the quality of being; (copula, used with an adjective or a predicate noun))

Sentence frame:

Something ----s

Sense 9

press [BACK TO TOP]

Meaning:

Exert oneself continuously, vigorously, or obtrusively to gain an end or engage in a crusade for a certain cause or person; be an advocate for

Classified under:

Verbs of political and social activities and events

Synonyms:

crusade; campaign; agitate; fight; push; press

Context examples:

The liberal party pushed for reforms / She is crusading for women's rights / The Dean is pushing for his favorite candidate

Hypernyms (to "press" is one way to...):

advertise; advertize; promote; push (make publicity for; try to sell (a product))

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody

Sense 10

press [BACK TO TOP]

Meaning:

Press from a plastic

Classified under:

Verbs of sewing, baking, painting, performing

Synonyms:

press out; press

Context example:

press a record

Hypernyms (to "press" is one way to...):

cast; mold; mould (form by pouring (e.g., wax or hot metal) into a cast or mold)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something

Sense 11

press [BACK TO TOP]

Meaning:

Make strenuous pushing movements during birth to expel the baby

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Synonyms:

push; press

Context example:

'Now push hard,' said the doctor to the woman

Hypernyms (to "press" is one way to...):

force; push (move with force,)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s

Sense 12

press [BACK TO TOP]

Meaning:

Press and smooth with a heated iron

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Synonyms:

iron; iron out; press

Context examples:

press your shirts / she stood there ironing

Hypernyms (to "press" is one way to...):

press (place between two surfaces and apply weight or pressure)

"Press" entails doing...:

heat; heat up (make hot or hotter)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "press"):

mangle (press with a mangle)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something

Sense 13

press [BACK TO TOP]

Meaning:

Lift weights

Classified under:

Verbs of fighting, athletic activities

Synonyms:

weight-lift; weightlift; press

Context example:

This guy can press 300 pounds

Hypernyms (to "press" is one way to...):

exercise; work out (do physical exercise)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s

Sense 14

press [BACK TO TOP]

Meaning:

Ask for or request earnestly

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Synonyms:

entreat; beseech; adjure; conjure; bid; press

Context example:

The prophet bid all people to become good persons

Hypernyms (to "press" is one way to...):

plead (appeal or request earnestly)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s somebody
Somebody ----s somebody to INFINITIVE