pressure

I. noun Etymology: Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Late Latin pressura, from Latin, action of pressing, pressure, from pressus, past participle of premere Date: 14th century 1. a. the burden of physical or mental distress b. the constraint of circumstance ; the weight of social or economic imposition 2. the application of force to something by something else in direct contact with it ; compression 3. archaic impression, stamp 4. a. the action of a force against an opposing force b. the force or thrust exerted over a surface divided by its area c. electromotive force 5. the stress or urgency of matters demanding attention ; exigency <

people who work well under pressure

> 6. the force of selection that results from one or more agents and tends to reduce a population of organisms <

population pressure

> <

predation pressure

> 7. atmospheric pressure 8. a sensation aroused by moderate compression of a body part or surface • pressureless adjective II. transitive verb (pressured; pressuring) Date: 1938 1. to apply pressure to 2. pressurize 3. to cook in a pressure cooker