compression
/kəmˈprɛʃ(ə)n
/noun [mass noun]
1The action of compressing or being compressed.Lossless data compression is used for data that must not be changed even a single bit....
- Metastatic disease in the lumbar area can cause spinal cord compression.
- The added bonus of lossless audio compression is a boon for people who have good speakers and good ears.
1.1The reduction in volume (causing an increase in pressure) of the fuel mixture in an internal combustion engine before ignition.The high temperature of the air, caused by the extreme compression, ignites the fuel....
- Now all you hear is the high pitched whine of the diesel engine in high compression.
- The variable-geometry turbocharger ensures plenty of compression when needed.
Derivatives
compressional
- In general, the attainment of peak pressure conditions in compressional systems such as the Delamerian Orogeny reflects the effects of crustal thickening.
- Intraplate compressional stresses resulting from ‘ridge push’ have been suggested by some workers to explain the Neogene uplift of Scandinavia.
- Like the Northwest Flank Fault, the Bala Fault was reactivated during Cretaceous and Neogene inversion with compressional strain restricted mainly to right-stepping jogs along the fault.
Origin
Late Middle English: via Old French from Latin compressio(n-), from comprimere 'press together' (see compress).