PRESSURE

press, pressure, pressing

(noun) the act of pressing; the exertion of pressure; “he gave the button a press”; “he used pressure to stop the bleeding”; “at the pressing of a button”

pressure

(noun) a force that compels; “the public brought pressure to bear on the government”

pressure, pressure sensation

(noun) the somatic sensation that results from applying force to an area of skin; “the sensitivity of his skin to pressure and temperature was normal”

pressure, pressure level, force per unit area

(noun) the force applied to a unit area of surface; measured in pascals (SI unit) or in dynes (cgs unit); “the compressed gas exerts an increased pressure”

imperativeness, insistence, insistency, press, pressure

(noun) the state of demanding notice or attention; “the insistence of their hunger”; “the press of business matters”

pressure

(noun) an oppressive condition of physical or mental or social or economic distress

coerce, hale, squeeze, pressure, force

(verb) to cause to do through pressure or necessity, by physical, moral or intellectual means; “She forced him to take a job in the city”; “He squeezed her for information”

blackmail, blackjack, pressure

(verb) exert pressure on someone through threats

Source: WordNet® 3.1

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Etymology

Noun

pressure (countable and uncountable, plural pressures)

A pressing; a force applied to a surface.

A contrasting force or impulse of any kind

Distress.

Urgency

(obsolete) Impression; stamp; character impressed.

(physics) The amount of force that is applied over a given area divided by the size of this area.

Synonyms

• (distress): affliction, grievance

• (urgency): press

Verb

pressure (third-person singular simple present pressures, present participle pressuring, simple past and past participle pressured)

(transitive) To encourage or heavily exert force or influence.

Anagrams

• perusers

Source: Wiktionary

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Pres"sure (; 138), n. Etym: [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.

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. Where the pressure of danger was not felt. Macaulay.

3. Affliction; distress; grievance. My people's pressures are grievous. Eikon Basilike. In the midst of his great troubles and pressures. Atterbury.

4. Urgency; as, the pressure of business.

5. Impression; stamp; character impressed. All saws of books, all forms, all pressures past. Shak.

6. (Mech.)

Definition: 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 upon a unit's area. 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.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition

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