chambers_search-1

Search Chambers

Consult Chambers 21st Century Dictionary, The Chambers Thesaurus (1996) or Chambers Biographical Dictionary (1997 edition with amendments). Enter your search and choose your title from the drop-down menu.

  



Search Tips & Abbreviations

Search results for 'press':

press1 verb (presses, pressed, pressing) 1 a tr & intr to push steadily, especially with the finger • press the bell; b (often press against or on or down on something) to push it; to apply pressure to it • press down on the accelerator. 2 to hold something firmly against something; to flatten • pressed her nose against the glass. 3 to compress or squash. 4 to squeeze (eg someone's hand) affectionately. 5 to preserve (plants) by flattening and drying, eg between the pages of a book. 6 a to squeeze (fruit) to extract juice; b to extract (juice) from fruit by squeezing. 7 to iron (clothes, etc). 8 to urge or compel someone; to ask them insistently. 9 to insist on something; to urge recognition or discussion of it • press your claim • press the point. 10 law to bring (charges) officially against someone. 11 to produce (eg a record noun 4) from a mould by a compressing process. noun (presses) 1 an act of pressing. 2 any apparatus for pressing, flattening, squeezing, etc. 3 a printing press. 4 the process or art of printing. 5 a printing house. 6 a (the press) newspapers or journalists in general; b as adj belonging or relating to the newspaper industry • a press photographer. 7 newspaper publicity or reviews received by a show, book, etc • got a poor press. 8 a crowd • a press of onlookers. 9 Scottish a cupboard. go to press said of a book, etc: to be sent for printing.
ETYMOLOGY: 13c: from French presser, from Latin premere, pressum to press.

press for something to demand it • press for a payrise.

press on, ahead or forward to hurry on; to continue, especially in spite of difficulties.

press something on someone to insist on giving it to them.

the press

There is often uncertainty as to whether collective nouns such as press should be followed by a singular or plural verb. Either is correct, depending on whether the group is being thought of as a single unit or as a number of individuals.

press2 verb (presses, pressed, pressing) 1 to force (men) into the army or navy. 2 (especially press something or someone into service) to put it or them to use in a way that was not originally intended.
ETYMOLOGY: 16c: from older prest to recruit into military service, originally 'enlistment money'.