the word 'suppressor' is built upon the latin verb 'supprimere', meaning 'to press down, hold back'. this verb itself is a compound of the prefix 'sub-' (under, down) and the root 'premere' (to press). the literal sense of pressing something down evolved metaphorically into the broader meanings of restraining, stopping, or eliminating an action or phenomenon. the agent suffix '-or' was added to form a noun denoting an entity that performs this act of suppression, a formation that passed into english via medieval latin.

Structure: sup + press + or sup- (variant of 'sub-', latin origin, meaning 'under, down'); press (from latin 'pressare', meaning 'to press'); -or (latin agent noun suffix, meaning 'a person or thing that does something').