the press Definition

press¹
verb presses, pressed, pressing

tr & intr
1a. To push steadily, especially with the finger;

Example: press the bell
Thesaurus: push, depress, force down.
1b. To push it; to apply pressure to it.

Example: press down on the accelerator
Thesaurus: push, thrust, drive, force, pressurize.
Form: press against something (often)
Form: press on something
Form: press down on something
2. To hold something firmly against something; to flatten.

Example: pressed her nose against the glass
3. To compress or squash.

Thesaurus: compress, flatten, iron, crush, mash, jam, mill, squeeze, force down, pressurize; Antonym: expand.
4. To squeeze (eg someone's hand) affectionately.

Thesaurus: hug, embrace, hold, caress, clasp, encircle, enfold.
5. To preserve (plants) by flattening and drying, eg between the pages of a book.
6a. To squeeze (fruit) to extract juice;
6b. To extract (juice) from fruit by squeezing.
7. To iron (clothes, etc).
8. To urge or compel someone; to ask them insistently.
9. To insist on something; to urge recognition or discussion of it.

Example: press your claim
Example: press the point
10. law.
To bring (charges) officially against someone.
11. To produce (eg a record noun 4) from a mould by a compressing process.

noun presses

1. An act of pressing.
2. Any apparatus for pressing, flattening, squeezing, etc.
3. A printing press.
4. The process or art of printing.
5. A printing house.
6a. Newspapers or journalists in general;

Thesaurus: news media, reporters, journalists, writers, columnists, correspondents, photographers, papers, paparazzi, hacks, fourth estate.
Form: the press
6b. Belonging or relating to the newspaper industry.

Example: a press photographer
7. Newspaper publicity or reviews received by a show, book, etc.

Example: got a poor press
8. A crowd.

Example: a press of onlookers
(Scots)
9. A cupboard.

Idiom: go to press

Said of a book, etc: to be sent for printing.

Etymology: 13c: from French presser, from Latin premere, pressum to press.

Phrasal Verb: press for something

To demand it.
Example: press for a payrise

Phrasal Verb: press on, ahead or forward

To hurry on; to continue, especially in spite of difficulties.

Phrasal Verb: press something on someone

To insist on giving it to them.

Info:

There is often uncertainty as to whether collective nouns such as press should be followed by a singular or plural verb. Either is correct, depending on whether the group is being thought of as a single unit or as a number of individuals.