Pres"sure (?; 138), n. [OF., fr. L. pressura, fr. premere. See 4th Press.]
1. The act of pressing, or the condition of being pressed; compression; a squeezing; a crushing; as, a pressure of the hand. 2. A contrasting force or impulse of any kind; as, the pressure of poverty; the pressure of taxes; the pressure of motives on the mind; the pressure of civilization. Where the pressure of danger was not felt.
Macaulay. 3. Affliction; distress; grievance. My people's pressures are grievous.
Eikon Basilike. In the midst of his great troubles and pressures.
Atterbury. 4. Urgency; as, the pressure of business. 5. Impression; stamp; character impressed. All saws of books, all forms, all pressures past.
Shak. 6. (Mech.) The action of a force against some obstacle or opposing force; a force in the nature of a thrust, distributed over a surface, often estimated with reference to the amount upon a unit's area. Atmospheric pressure, Center of pressure, etc. See under Atmospheric, Center, etc. --
Back pressure (Steam engine), pressure which resists the motion of the piston, as the pressure of exhaust steam which does not find free outlet. --
Fluid pressure, pressure like that exerted by a fluid. It is a thrust which is normal and equally intense in all directions around a point. Rankine. --
Pressure gauge, a gauge for indicating fluid pressure; a manometer. © Webster 1913
Pres"sure (?), n. Electro-motive force. © Webster 1913
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