Etymology

compress

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Today it means: To make smaller; to press or squeeze together, or to make something occupy a smaller space or volume. Full definition →

Middle English compressen ← Old French compresser ← Late Latin compressare
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compress · verb1

  1. Latin · derived fromcompressus
  2. Late Latin · derived fromcompressare“to press hard/together”
  3. Old French · derived fromcompresser
  4. Middle English · inherited fromcompressen
  5. English todaycompress

From Middle English compressen, from Old French compresser, from Late Latin compressare (“to press hard/together”), from Latin compressus, the past participle of comprimō (“to compress”), itself from com- (“together”) + premō (“press”).

compress · noun2

  1. Latin · derived fromcompressus
  2. Late Latin · derived fromcompressare“to press hard/together”
  3. Middle French · borrowed fromcompresse
  4. English todaycompress

From Middle French compresse, from compresse (“to compress”), from Late Latin compressare (“to press hard/together”), from Latin compressus, the past participle of comprimō (“to compress”), itself from com- (“together”) + premō (“press”).

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.