compressions
|com-press-ions|
/kəmˈprɛʃənz/
(compression)
size reduction
Etymology
'compression' originates from Latin, specifically the word 'compressio', where 'com-' meant 'together' and 'premere' meant 'to press'.
'compressio' passed into Old French (as 'compression') and then into Middle English, eventually becoming the modern English word 'compression'.
Initially, it referred to the act of pressing together or the state produced by pressing; over time it retained this core sense and acquired extended uses (e.g., data compression, wave compressions).
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
plural of 'compression': acts of compressing; instances in which something is pressed or squeezed together.
The rescue team used manual chest compressions and other techniques to stabilize the patient.
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Noun 2
plural of 'compression': reductions in size, volume, or amount (e.g., files or data that have been compressed).
After running several compressions, the archive files were much smaller.
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Noun 3
in physics (especially wave mechanics), regions of higher pressure in a longitudinal wave (the plural of a compression region).
Sound waves consist of alternating compressions and rarefactions.
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Last updated: 2025/10/19 05:37