Definify.com
Webster 1913 Edition
Press
Press
,Noun.
(Zool.)
An East Indian insectivore (
Tupaia ferruginea
). It is arboreal in its habits, and has a bushy tail. The fur is soft, and varies from rusty red to maroon and to brownish black. Press
,Verb.
T.
[Corrupt. fr. ]
prest
ready money advanced, a loan; hence, earnest money given soldiers on entering service. See Prest
, Noun.
To force into service, particularly into naval service; to impress.
To peaceful peasant to the wars is
pressed
. Dryden.
Press
,Noun.
[For
prest
, confused with press
.] A commission to force men into public service, particularly into the navy.
I have misused the king’s
press
. Shakespeare
Press
,Verb.
T.
[
imp. & p. p.
Pressed
; p. pr. & vb. n.
Pressing
.] 1.
To urge, or act upon, with force, as weight; to act upon by pushing or thrusting, in distinction from pulling; to crowd or compel by a gradual and continued exertion; to bear upon; to squeeze; to compress;
as, we
press
the ground with the feet when we walk; we press
the couch on which we repose; we press
substances with the hands, fingers, or arms; we are pressed
in a crowd.Good measure,
pressed
down, and shaken together. Luke vi. 38.
2.
To squeeze, in order to extract the juice or contents of; to squeeze out, or express, from something.
From sweet kernels
She tempers dulcet creams.
pressed
,She tempers dulcet creams.
Milton.
And I took the grapes, and
pressed
them into Pharaoh's cup, and I gave the cup into Pharaoh's hand. Gen. xl. 11.
3.
To squeeze in or with suitable instruments or apparatus, in order to compact, make dense, or smooth;
as, to
; to smooth by ironing; press
cotton bales, paper, etc.as, to
. press
clothes4.
To embrace closely; to hug.
Leucothoe shook at these alarms,
And
And
pressed
Palemon closer in her arms. Pope.
5.
To oppress; to bear hard upon.
Press
not a falling man too far. Shakespeare
6.
To straiten; to distress;
as, to be
. pressed
with want or hunger7.
To exercise very powerful or irresistible influence upon or over; to constrain; to force; to compel.
Paul was
pressed
in the spirit, and testified to the Jews that Jesus was Christ. Acts xviii. 5.
8.
To try to force (something upon some one); to urge or inculcate with earnestness or importunity; to enforce;
as, to
. press
divine truth on an audienceHe
pressed
a letter upon me within this hour. Dryden.
Be sure to
press
upon him every motive. Addison.
9.
To drive with violence; to hurry; to urge on; to ply hard;
as, to
. press
a horse in a raceThe posts . . . went cut, being hastened and
pressed
on, by the king's commandment. Esther viii. 14.
☞ Press differs from drive and strike in usually denoting a slow or continued application of force; whereas drive and strike denote a sudden impulse of force.
Pressed brick
. See under
Brick
.Press
,Verb.
I.
1.
To exert pressure; to bear heavily; to push, crowd, or urge with steady force.
2.
To move on with urging and crowding; to make one's way with violence or effort; to bear onward forcibly; to crowd; to throng; to encroach.
They
pressed
upon him for to touch him. Mark iii. 10.
3.
To urge with vehemence or importunity; to exert a strong or compelling influence;
as, an argument
. presses
upon the judgment1.
An apparatus or machine by which any substance or body is pressed, squeezed, stamped, or shaped, or by which an impression of a body is taken; sometimes, the place or building containing a press or presses.
☞ Presses are differently constructed for various purposes in the arts, their specific uses being commonly designated;
as, a cotton
See press
, a wine press
, a cider press
, a copying press
, etc. Drill press
. 2.
Specifically, a printing press.
3.
The art or business of printing and publishing; hence, printed publications, taken collectively, more especially newspapers or the persons employed in writing for them;
as, a free
. press
is a blessing, a licentious press
is a curse4.
An upright case or closet for the safe keeping of articles;
as, a clothes
. press
Shak.
5.
The act of pressing or thronging forward.
In their throng and
press
to that last hold. Shakespeare
6.
Urgent demands of business or affairs; urgency;
as, a
. press
of engagements7.
A multitude of individuals crowded together; [GREEK] crowd of single things; a throng.
They could not come nigh unto him for the
press
. Mark ii. 4.
Cylinder press
, a printing press in which the impression is produced by a revolving cylinder under which the form passes; also, one in which the form of type or plates is curved around a cylinder, instead of resting on a flat bed.
– Hydrostatic press
. See under
– Hydrostatic
. Liberty of the press
, the free right of publishing books, pamphlets, or papers, without previous restraint or censorship, subject only to punishment for libelous, seditious, or morally pernicious matters.
– Press bed
, a bed that may be folded, and inclosed, in a press or closet.
Boswell.
– Press of sail
, (Naut.)
, as much sail as the state of the wind will permit.
Webster 1828 Edition
Press
PRESS
,Verb.
T.
1.
To urge with force or weight; a word of extensive use, denoting the application of any power, physical or moral, to something that is to be moved or affected. We press the ground with the feet when we walk; we press the couch on which we repose; we press substances with the hands, fingers or arms; the smith presses iron with his vise; we are pressed with the weight of arguments or of cares, troubles and business.2.
To squeeze; to crush; as, to press grapes. Gen.40.3.
To drive with violence; to hurry; as, to press a horse in motion, or in a race.4.
To urge; to enforce; to inculcate with earnestness; as, to press divine truth on an audience.5.
To embrace closely; to hug. Leucothoe shook
And press'd Palemon closer in her arms.
6.
To force into service, particularly into naval service; to impress.7.
To straiten; to distress; as, to be pressed with want or with difficulties.8.
To constrain; to compel; to urge by authority or necessity. The posts that rode on mules and camels went out, being hastened and pressed on by the king's commandment. Esth.8.
9.
To urge; to impose by importunity. He pressed a letter upon me, within this hour, to deliver to you.
10. To urge or solicit with earnestness or importunity. He pressed me to accept of his offer.
11. To urge; to constrain.
Paul was pressed in spirit, and testified to the Jews that Jesus was Christ. Acts.18.
Wickedness pressed with conscience, forecasteth grievous things.
12. To squeeze for making smooth; as cloth or paper.
Press differs from drive and strike, in usually denoting a slow or continued application of force; whereas drive and strike denote a sudden impulse of force.
PRESS
,Verb.
I.
I press towards the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. Phil.3.
Th' insulting victor presses on the more.
1.
To bear on with force; to encroach. On superior powers
Were we to press, inferior might on ours.
2.
To bear on with force; to crowd; to throng. Thronging crowds press on you as you pass.
3.
To approach unseasonably or importunately. Nor press too near the throne.
4.
To urge with vehemence and importunity. He pressed upon them greatly, and they turned in to him. Gen.19.
5.
To urge by influence or moral force. When arguments press equally in matters indifferent, the safest method is to give up ourselves to neither.
6.
To push with force; as, to press against the door.PRESS
, n.1.
An instrument or machine by which any body is squeezed, crushed or forced into a more compact form; as a wine-press, cider-press or cheese-press.2.
A machine for printing; a printing-press. Great improvements have been lately made in the construction of presses.3.
The art or business of printing and publishing. A free press is a great blessing to a free people; a licentious press is a curse to society.4.
A crowd; a throng; a multitude of individuals crowded together. And when they could not come nigh to him for the press--Mark 2.
5.
The act of urging or pushing forward. Which in their throng and press to the last hold,
Confound themselves.
6.
A wine-vat or cistern. Hag.2.7.
A case of closet for the safe keeping of garments.8.
Urgency; urgent demands of affairs; as a press of business.9.
A commission to force men into public service, particularly into the navy; for impress.Press of sail, in navigation, is as much sail as the state of the wind will permit.
Liberty of the press, in civil policy, is the free right of publishing books, pamphlets or papers without previous restraint; or the unrestrained right which every citizen enjoys of publishing his thoughts and opinions, subject only to punishment for publishing what is pernicious to morals or to the peace of the state.