compressor

English

Etymology

From compress +‎ -or, or from New Latin compressor.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /kəmˈpɹɛ.sə(ɹ)/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɛsə(ɹ)

Noun

compressor (plural compressors)

1. A device that produces pressure, such as a gas compressor that produces pressurized gas.
2. A device that squeezes (compresses).
   1. An instrument for compressing an artery (especially the femoral artery) or other part.
   2. An apparatus for confining or flattening between glass plates an object to be examined with the microscope; a compressorium.
   3. A machine for compressing gases, especially an air compressor.
      • 1958 June, “Main-Line Diesel-Electric Locomotives for the Eastern Region”, in Railway Magazine, page 394:

        The compressor is mounted adjacent to the fuel tank and provides compressed air for operating the locomotive brakes, control gear, sanders and warning horns.

3. (audio, sound engineering) A device that reduces the dynamic range of an audio signal.
4. (anatomy) A muscle that compresses certain parts.
5. (computing) A program or algorithm for compressing data.

Derived terms

• compander
• compandor
• compressorless
• microcompressor
• supercompressor
• thermocompressor
• turbocompressor

Related terms

• pressure

Translations

device that produces pressure

• Bulgarian: компре́сор m (komprésor)
• Catalan: compressor m
• Czech: kompresor (cs) m
• Finnish: kompressori (fi), puristin (fi) (dated)
• French: compresseur (fr) m
• Georgian: please add this translation if you can
• German: Kompressor (de) m
• Greek: αεροσυμπιεστής (el) m (aerosympiestís)
• Italian: compressore (it) m
• Japanese: 圧縮機 (ja) (asshuku ki), コンプレッサー (ja) (kompuressā)
• Kazakh: сығымдағыш (sığımdağıš)
• Māori: papu whakawhāiti, pamu whakawhāiti
• Norwegian: kompressor m
• Polish: sprężarka f, kompresor (pl) m
• Portuguese: compressor (pt) m
• Romanian: compresor (ro) n
• Russian: компре́ссор (ru) m (kompréssor)
• Spanish: compresor (es) m

device that squeezes

• Finnish: puristin (fi)
• Hebrew: מדחס m (mad'khes)
• Japanese: 圧縮機 (ja) (asshuku ki), 圧搾機 (ja) (assakuki)
• Kazakh: сығымдағыш (sığımdağıš)
• Norwegian: presse (no) m or f

device that reduces the range of an audio signal

• Finnish: kompressori (fi)
• French: compresseur (fr) m
• Japanese: コンプレッサー (ja) (kompuressā)
• Spanish: compresor (es) m
• Swedish: kompressor (sv) c

computing: program or algorithm for compressing data

• Finnish: pakkausohjelma (program), pakkausalgoritmi (algorithm)
• Spanish: compresor (es) m

Dutch

Etymology

Borrowed from New Latin compressor. The technical sense comes from English compressor.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˌkɔmˈprɛ.sɔr/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Hyphenation: com‧pres‧sor
• Rhymes: -ɛsɔr

Noun

compressor m (plural compressors or compressoren, diminutive compressortje n)

1. (technology) compressor
2. (anatomy) compressor

Further reading

• “compressor” in Woordenlijst Nederlandse Taal – Officiële Spelling, Nederlandse Taalunie. [the official spelling word list for the Dutch language]

Italian

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /komˈprɛs.sor/
• Rhymes: -ɛssor
• Hyphenation: com‧près‧sor

Noun

compressor m

1. (electronics) compressor

Further reading

• “compressor” in Dizionario Italiano Olivetti, Olivetti Media Communication

Portuguese

Etymology

Learned borrowing from New Latin compressor.

Pronunciation

 

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /kõ.pɾeˈsoʁ/ [kõ.pɾeˈsoh]

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /kõ.pɾeˈsoʁ/ [kõ.pɾeˈsoh]
  • (São Paulo) IPA^(key): /kõ.pɾeˈsoɾ/
  • (Rio de Janeiro) IPA^(key): /kõ.pɾeˈsoʁ/ [kõ.pɾeˈsoχ]
  • (Caipira) IPA^(key): /kõ.pɾeˈsoɻ/

 

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /kõ.pɾɨˈsoɾ/

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /kõ.pɾɨˈsoɾ/
  • (Southern Portugal) IPA^(key): /kõ.pɾɨˈso.ɾi/

• Rhymes: -oʁ, -oɾ
• Hyphenation: com‧pres‧sor

Adjective

compressor (feminine compressora, masculine plural compressores, feminine plural compressoras)

1. compressing

Noun

compressor m (plural compressores)

1. (anatomy, surgery, technology) compressor

Further reading

• “compressor”, in Dicionário Aulete Digital (in Portuguese), Rio de Janeiro: Lexikon Editora Digital, 2008–2026
• “compressor”, in Dicionário inFormal (in Portuguese), 2006–2026
• “compressor” in Dicionário Aberto based on Novo Diccionário da Língua Portuguesa de Cândido de Figueiredo, 1913
• “compressor”, in Dicionário Infopédia da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), Porto: Porto Editora, 2003–2026
• “compressor”, in Michaelis Dicionário Brasileiro da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), São Paulo: Editora Melhoramentos, 2015–2026, →ISBN
• “compressor”, in Dicionário Priberam da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), Lisbon: Priberam, 2008–2026