7  definitions  found 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Press  \Press\,  v.  i. 
  1.  To  exert  pressure;  to  bear  heavily;  to  push  crowd,  or 
  urge  with  steady  force. 
 
  2.  To  move  on  with  urging  and  crowding;  to  make  one's  way 
  with  violence  or  effort;  to  bear  onward  forcibly;  to 
  crowd;  to  throng;  to  encroach. 
 
  They  pressed  upon  him  for  to  touch  him  --Mark  iii. 
  10. 
 
  3.  To  urge  with  vehemence  or  importunity;  to  exert  a  strong 
  or  compelling  influence;  as  an  argument  presses  upon  the 
  judgment. 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Press  \Press\,  n.  [F.  presse.  See  4th  {Press}.] 
  1.  An  apparatus  or  machine  by  which  any  substance  or  body  is 
  pressed,  squeezed,  stamped,  or  shaped,  or  by  which  an 
  impression  of  a  body  is  taken  sometimes  the  place  or 
  building  containing  a  press  or  presses. 
 
  Note:  Presses  are  differently  constructed  for  various 
  purposes  in  the  arts,  their  specific  uses  being 
  commonly  designated;  as  a  cotton  press,  a  wine  press, 
  a  cider  press,  a  copying  press,  etc  See  {Drill  press}. 
 
  2.  Specifically,  a  printing  press. 
 
  3.  The  art  or  business  of  printing  and  publishing;  hence 
  printed  publications,  taken  collectively,  more  especially 
  newspapers  or  the  persons  employed  in  writing  for  them 
  as  a  free  press  is  a  blessing,  a  licentious  press  is  a 
  curse. 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Press  \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. 
 
  Note:  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}. 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Press  \Press\,  n.  (Zo["o]l.) 
  An  East  Indian  insectivore  ({Tupaia  ferruginea}).  It  is 
  arboreal  in  its  habits,  and  has  a  bushy  tail.  The  fur  is 
  soft,  and  varies  from  rusty  red  to  maroon  and  to  brownish 
  black. 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Press  \Press\,  v.  t.  [Corrupt.  fr  prest  ready  money  advanced,  a 
  loan;  hence  earnest  money  given  soldiers  on  entering 
  service.  See  {Prest},  n.] 
  To  force  into  service,  particularly  into  naval  service;  to 
  impress. 
 
  To  peaceful  peasant  to  the  wars  is  pressed.  --Dryden. 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Press  \Press\,  n.  [For  prest,  confused  with  press.] 
  A  commission  to  force  men  into  public  service,  particularly 
  into  the  navy. 
 
  I  have  misused  the  king's  press.  --Shak. 
 
  {Press  gang},  or  {Pressgang},  a  detachment  of  seamen  under 
  the  command  of  an  officer  empowered  to  force  men  into  the 
  naval  service.  See  {Impress  gang},  under  {Impress}. 
 
  {Press  money},  money  paid  to  a  man  enlisted  into  public 
  service.  See  {Prest  money},  under  {Prest},  a. 
 
  From  WordNet  r  1.6  [wn]: 
 
  press 
  n  1:  newspaper  writers  and  photographers  [syn:  {fourth  estate}] 
  2:  the  state  of  urgently  demanding  notice  or  attention;  "the 
  press  of  business  matters"  [syn:  {imperativeness},  {insistence}, 
  {insistency},  {pressure}] 
  3:  printed  matter  in  the  form  of  newspapers  or  magazines  [syn: 
  {public  press}] 
  4:  a  machine  used  for  printing  [syn:  {printing  press}] 
  5:  a  dense  crowd  of  people  [syn:  {crush},  {jam}] 
  6:  with  rails  or  hooks  for  hanging  clothes  [syn:  {wardrobe},  {closet}] 
  7:  clamp  to  prevent  wooden  rackets  from  warping  when  not  in  use 
  8:  any  machine  that  exerts  pressure  to  form  or  shape  or  cut 
  materials  or  extract  liquids  or  compress  solids 
  9:  a  weightlift  in  which  the  barbell  is  lifted  to  shoulder 
  height  and  then  smoothly  lifted  overhead  [syn:  {military 
  press}] 
  10:  the  act  of  pressing;  "he  gave  the  button  a  press";  "he  used 
  pressure  to  stop  the  bleeding"  [syn:  {pressure},  {pressing}] 
  v  1:  exert  pressure  or  force  to  or  upon  "He  pressed  down  on  the 
  boards";  "press  your  thumb  on  this  spot" 
  2:  force  or  impel  in  an  indicated  direction;  "I  urged  him  to 
  finish  his  studies"  [syn:  {urge},  {urge  on},  {exhort}] 
  3:  to  be  oppressive  or  burdensome;  "weigh  heavily  on  the  mind", 
  "Something  pressed  on  his  mind"  [syn:  {weigh}] 
  4:  place  between  two  surfaces  and  apply  weight  or  pressure; 
  "pressed  flowers" 
  5:  squeeze  or  press  together;  "she  compressed  her  lips"  [syn:  {compress}, 
  {constrict},  {squeeze},  {compact},  {contract}] 
  6:  crowd  closely;  "The  crowds  pressed  along  the  street" 
  7:  create  by  pressing:  "Press  little  holes  into  the  soft  clay" 
  8:  exert  oneself  continuously,  vigorously,  or  obtrusively  to 
  gain  an  end  "The  liberal  party  pushed  for  reforms"  [syn: 
  {push}] 
  9:  be  urgent;  "This  is  a  pressing  problem" 
  10:  press  from  a  plastic,  as  of  records  [syn:  {press  out}] 
  11:  lift  weights  [syn:  {weightlift}] 
  12:  ask  for  or  request  earnestly;  "The  prophet  bid  all  people  to 
  become  good  persons"  [syn:  {bid},  {beseech},  {entreat},  {adjure}] 

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