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The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 (gcide)

Compress \Com"press\, n. [F. compresse.] (Surg.)
A folded piece of cloth, pledget of lint, etc., used to cover
the dressing of wounds, and so placed as, by the aid of a
bandage, to make due pressure on any part.
[1913 Webster]


Compress \Com*press"\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Compressed}; p. pr &
vb. n. {Compressing}.] [L. compressus, p. p. of comprimere to
compress: com- premere to press. See Press.]
1. To press or squeeze together; to force into a narrower
compass; to reduce the volume of by pressure; to compact;
to condense; as, to compress air or water.
[1913 Webster]

Events of centuries . . . compressed within the
compass of a single life. --D. Webster.
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The same strength of expression, though more
compressed, runs through his historical harangues.
--Melmoth.
[1913 Webster]

2. To embrace sexually. [Obs.] --Pope.
[1913 Webster]

3. (Computers) to reduce the space required for storage (of
binary data) by an algorithm which converts the data to a
smaller number of bits while preserving the information
content. The compressed data is usually decompressed to
recover the initial data format before subsequent use.
[PJC]

Syn: To crowd; squeeze; condense; reduce; abridge.
[1913 Webster]