pressure
UK[ˈpreʃə(r)]US[ˈpreʃər]
n
The force or weight that is produced when something presses or pushes against something else.
n
The feeling of being worried or uncomfortable because you have too much to deal with or because people are expecting you to do something.
n
The act of trying to persuade or force someone to do something.
v
To try to make someone do something by using influence, arguments, or threats.
Morpheme Breakdown
press
ure
press
to push
ure
noun suffix
Etymology
The word 'pressure' entered English in the late 14th century via Old French pressure, which itself descended from Latin pressura, meaning "a pressing, compression." The Latin term was derived from pressus, the past participle of the verb premere, "to press, hold fast, cover, crowd, compress." This Latin root prem- traces back to the Proto-Indo-European root per- (to strike), which also gave rise to words like 'print.' The semantic journey is remarkably direct: from the physical act of pressing, the term evolved to denote the resulting force (physical pressure) and then extended metaphorically to describe psychological stress or social coercion, maintaining the core concept of an applied force producing a constraining effect.
Analysis
Structure: press (to push) + ure (noun suffix)
- press: From Latin pressus (pressed, squeezed), the past participle of premere (to press). It functions as the core root conveying the action of applying force.
- ure: A noun-forming suffix of Latin origin (-ura), indicating an action, process, or result. It functions to turn the verb concept into a noun denoting the state or effect.
Examples
The pressure of the water in the pipes was too high.
She is under a lot of pressure at work to meet the deadline.
They pressured him into resigning from the committee.