compression

//kəmˈprɛʃən//
B2Frequency Level 10Neutral
Visual representation of compression

Noun

compressionSingular
compressionsPlural
1

The action or process of pressing something into a smaller space or reducing its volume by applying pressure.

The compression of the gas in the cylinder generates heat.

2

The reduction in the size of digital data by encoding it using fewer bits than the original representation.

File compression reduces the amount of storage space needed.

3

The phase in an internal combustion engine cycle when the fuel-air mixture is compressed before ignition.

The engine lost power because of a problem during the compression stroke.