Press, v. t. [imp. & p. p.Pressed (?); p. pr. & vb. n.Pressing.] [F. presser, fr. L. pressare to press, fr. premere, pressum, to press. Cf. Print, v.] 1. To urge, or act upon, with force, as weight; to act upon by pushing or thrusting, in distinction from pulling; to crowd or compel by a gradual and continued exertion; to bear upon; to squeeze; to compress; as, we press the ground with the feet when we walk; we press the couch on which we repose; we press substances with the hands, fingers, or arms; we are pressed in a crowd.
Good measure, pressed down, and shaken together. Luke vi. 38.
2. To squeeze, in order to extract the juice or contents of; to squeeze out, or express, from something.
From sweet kernels pressed,
She tempers dulcet creams. Milton.
And I took the grapes, and pressed them into Pharaoh's cup, and I gave the cup into Pharaoh's hand. Gen. xl. 11.
3. To squeeze in or with suitable instruments or apparatus, in order to compact, make dense, or smooth; as, to press cotton bales, paper, etc.; to smooth by ironing; as, to press clothes.
4. To embrace closely; to hug.
Leucothoe shook at these alarms,
And pressed Palemon closer in her arms. Pope.
5. To oppress; to bear hard upon.
Press not a falling man too far. Shak.
6. To straiten; to distress; as, to be pressed with want or hunger.
7. To exercise very powerful or irresistible influence upon or over; to constrain; to force; to compel.
Paul was pressed in the spirit, and testified to the Jews that Jesus was Christ. Acts xviii. 5.
8. To try to force (something upon some one); to urge or inculcate with earnestness or importunity; to enforce; as, to press divine truth on an audience.
He pressed a letter upon me within this hour. Dryden.
Be sure to press upon him every motive. Addison.
9. To drive with violence; to hurry; to urge on; to ply hard; as, to press a horse in a race.
The posts... went cut, being hastened and pressed on, by the king's commandment. Esther viii. 14.
☞ Press differs from drive and strike in usually denoting a slow or continued application of force; whereas drive and strike denote a sudden impulse of force.
Pressed brick. See under Brick.