Presse
/prɛs/noun
An obsolete English form of “press,” meaning a crowd, pressure, or a device used to apply force.
Did you know?In Middle English, “presse” could describe both physical pressure and a gathered crowd, linking force exerted on objects with force exerted on people.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*prem-
“To press, squeeze, or push down”
Classical Latin
Latin
premere
“To press, crush, suppress, or weigh upon”
Late Latin
Latin
pressa
“Something pressed or compressed”
12th–13th Century
Old French
presse
“A crowd, pressure, or pressing force”
Middle English
English
presse
“A crowd, pressure, or a device for pressing”
Modern English
English
press
“A device, act, or organized body associated with pressing or publishing”