Compress
/kəmˈprɛs/noun
To press or squeeze something into a smaller space or volume.
Did you know?Compress shares its Latin root with words tied to pressure and force, and its noun form later became essential in science, medicine, and even data storage.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*preh₁-
“to press, seize”
Latin
Latin
comprimere
“to press together, squeeze tightly”
Late Latin
Latin
compressus
“pressed together; compacted”
14th Century
English
compressen
“to press together or squeeze”
Modern English
English
compress
“to press or reduce in size by pressure”