squeeze
pronunciation
How to pronounce squeeze in British English:
UK [skwiːz]
How to pronounce squeeze in American English:
US [skwiːz]
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- Noun:
- the act of gripping and pressing firmly
- a state in which there is a short supply of cash to lend to businesses and consumers and interest rates are high
- a situation in which increased costs cannot be passed on to the customer
- (slang) a person's girlfriend or boyfriend
- a twisting squeeze
- an aggressive attempt to compel acquiescence by the concentration or manipulation of power
- a tight or amorous embrace
- the act of forcing yourself (or being forced) into or through a restricted space
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- Verb:
- to compress with violence, out of natural shape or condition
- press firmly
- squeeze like a wedge into a tight space
- to cause to do through pressure or necessity, by physical, moral or intellectual means :"She forced him to take a job in the city"
- obtain by coercion or intimidation
- press or force
- squeeze tightly between the fingers
- hug, usually with fondness
- squeeze or press together
Word Origin
- squeeze (v.)
- c. 1600, "press forcibly" (transitive), probably an alteration of quease (c. 1550), from Old English cwysan "to squeeze," of unknown origin, perhaps imitative (compare German quetschen "to squeeze"). Perhaps altered by influence of many words of similar sense in squ-. Intransitive sense from 1680s. Baseball squeeze play first recorded 1905. The 1811 Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue has squeeze-crab "A sour-looking, shrivelled, diminutive fellow."
- squeeze (n.)
- 1610s, "act of squeezing," from squeeze (v.). Main squeeze "most important person" is attested from 1896; meaning "one's sweetheart, lover" is attested by 1980. Slang expression to put the squeeze on (someone or something) "exert influence on" is from 1711.
Example
- 1. But the squeeze comes not just from falling oil prices .
- 2. You need to squeeze the lemon onto the salad .
- 3. She managed to squeeze the word through her constricted throat .
- 4. There are two potential adverse consequences of this squeeze .
- 5. If those rates rise , banks face a squeeze on their profits .