compress
compress — verb
1. to make something take up less physical room by applying pressure from different
to make something take up less physical room by applying pressure from different sides — like pushing a pile of clothes into a suitcase or flattening a cardboard box before recycling it.
Kian compressed the cardboard boxes before putting them in the recycling bin.
compress + object for disposal
The soil compresses under the weight of passing trucks and heavy rain.
intransitive: material compresses under force
Nkechi tried to compress all her clothes into one small suitcase for the trip.
When you compress a spring, it stores energy that can be released later.
The machine compresses metal waste into dense blocks for easier transport.
文法句型
compress + something + into + something
compress (no object)
用法筆記
Often followed by 'into' to specify the resulting shape or container. The intransitive use describes a material's natural property, as in 'the foam compresses easily.'
常見錯誤
2. to make a text, speech, or body of information shorter while keeping its main me
to make a text, speech, or body of information shorter while keeping its main meaning — for example, fitting a long meeting summary into one paragraph, or cutting a ninety-minute lecture down to ten minutes of key points.
The reporter compressed the two-hour interview into a three-minute news segment.
compress [lengthy material] into [shorter form]
Can you compress this report into one page so the manager can read it quickly?
Minh compressed his whole life story into a short speech for the wedding.
The textbook compresses centuries of world history into just two short chapters.
Sivan found it hard to compress her ideas into a single paragraph.
文法句型
compress + something + into + something
用法筆記
Commonly followed by 'into' to show the shortened result. Unlike 'summarize,' which focuses on extracting key points, 'compress' emphasizes fitting the same content into a physically or temporally smaller space.
常見錯誤
3. to use a computer program to make a digital file smaller so that it uses less st
to use a computer program to make a digital file smaller so that it uses less storage space or can be sent over the internet more quickly, without losing its basic content.
Tamás compressed the video files before emailing them to the client.
You should compress large images before uploading them to your company website.
compress [images] before uploading
Beatrix used a program to compress the photo folder to half its original size.
The software can compress a high-resolution video to under one gigabyte.
Liang compresses his backup files every month to save space on the office server.
- decompress
to restore a compressed file to its original size
- extract
to take files out of a compressed archive
文法句型
compress + something + to + size
用法筆記
Object is typically a digital file type such as an image, video, audio track, or document folder. Can be used with 'to' to specify the target file size. 'Zip' is a more informal alternative that refers specifically to the .zip format.
常見錯誤
compress — noun
1. a pad made of folded cloth or gauze that you hold firmly on a part of your body
a pad made of folded cloth or gauze that you hold firmly on a part of your body — for example, on a wound to stop it from bleeding, or on a sore muscle to calm pain and swelling.
Nurse Okafor placed a cold compress on Reema's swollen ankle after the fall.
cold compress for swelling
The doctor applied a warm compress to relax the tight muscles in Tyler's shoulder.
Keep a clean compress pressed firmly against the wound until the bleeding stops.
Sayaka soaked a compress in water and laid it on her forehead for the fever.
The first-aid kit contains sterile compresses for treating cuts and minor injuries.