Part 510

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.

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.