compression

3 definitions • 4 examples

the act of pressing something into a smaller space or putting pressure on it from different sides until it gets smaller:

Tectonic forces caused compression in the earth’s crust.

Compression fractures of the spine are common in older people.

nerve compression

the act of making something smaller or shorter so that it will fit into a particular space or time

the act of making a computer file use less space when it is stored, using special software:

Advances in compression technology mean that you can now send even quite large files by email.