com-prĭmo (conp-), pressi, pressum, 3, v. a. [premo], to press or squeeze together, compress (very freq and class.).
I In gen.: (corpora) inter se compressa teneri, Lucr. 6, 454: dentis, Plaut. Ps. 3, 1, 21: cum plane (digitos) compresserat pugnumque fecerat, Cic. Ac. 2 ( Luc. ), 47, 145; cf.: compressa in pugnum manus, Quint. 2, 20, 7; 11, 3, 104: (oculos) opertos compressosque, id. 11, 3, 76: compressā palmā, with the clinched hand , Plaut. Cas. 2, 6, 53: compressam forcipe lingua, Ov. M. 6, 556: labra, * Hor. S. 1, 4, 138: tamquam compressa manu sit (terra), Lucr. 6, 866: manibus dorsum boum, Col. 2, 3, 1: murem, Phaedr. 4, 2, 14: ordines (aciei), to make more dense , Liv. 8, 8, 12: versus ordinibus, to write closely , Ov. Am. 1, 11, 21: mulierem, to lie with , Plaut. Aul. prol. 30; Ter. Hec. 572; 828; id. Phorm. 1018; Liv. 1, 4, 2 al.—Hence the equivocation in Plaut. Am. 1, 1, 192; id. Rud. 4, 4, 29 sq.; id. Truc. 2, 2, 6.—Also of the treading of a peacock, Col. 8, 11, 5.— Prov.: compressis manibus sedere, with the hands folded , i. e. to be unemployed, at leisure , Liv. 7, 13, 7; cf.: compressas tenuisse manus, Luc. 2, 292.—
II Esp. with the access. idea of restraining free motion.
A To hold back, hold, keep in, restrain; prop.: animam, to hold one's breath , Ter. Phorm. 868: manum, to keep off , id. Heaut. 590: linguam alicui, to silence him , Plaut. Am. 1, 1, 192; cf. I. supra, and id. Mil. 2, 6, 88: aquam (opp. inmittere), Dig. 39, 3, 1, § 1: tela manu, Stat. Th. 11, 33: alvum, to check a diarrhoea , Cels. 1, 10; 6, 18, 7; so, stomachum, to bind, make costive , id. 4, 5 fin. ; and transf. to the person: si morbus aliquem compresserit, id. praef.—
B Trop.
1 Of passions, dispositions, intentions, actions, etc., to restrain, hinder, check, repress, curb (very freq.): vocem et orationem, Plaut. Ps. 1, 4, 16: gressum, Verg. A. 6, 389: consilium, Plaut. Merc. 2, 3, 6: comprimere atque restinguere incensam illius cupiditatem, Cic. Pis. 25, 59; cf. id. Cael. 31, 25: conatum atque audaciam furentis hominis, id. Phil. 10, 5, 11: Clodii conatus furoresque, id. Off. 2, 17, 58; cf. Liv. 3, 38, 7: amor compressus edendi, Verg. A. 8, 184: tribunicios furores, Cic. Mur. 11, 24: ferocitatem tuam istam, id. Vatin. 1, 2: seditionem, Liv. 2, 23, 10: motus, id. 1, 60, 1: multi temere excitati tumultus sunt compressique, id. 26, 10, 10: plausum, Cic. Deiot. 12, 34: exsultantem laetitiam, id. Top. 22, 86: voce manuque Murmura, Ov. M. 1, 206: conscientiam, to silence , Cic. Fin. 2, 17, 54 et saep. —
2 Transf. to the person: non ego te conprimere possum sine malo? Plaut. Rud. 4, 4, 81: ac sedare exasperatos Ligures, Liv. 42, 26, 1; cf. id. 5, 45, 7: cujus adventus Pompeianos compressit, Caes. B. C. 3, 65: comprime te, nimium tinnis, Plaut. Cas. 2, 3, 32: vix comprimor, quin involem illi in oculos, id. Most. 1, 3, 46.—
C With the access. idea of withholding evidence or knowledge ( = supprimo), to keep to one's self, keep back, withhold, suppress, conceal (rare, but in good prose; most freq. in Cic.): frumentum, Cic. Att. 5, 21, 8: annonam, Liv. 38, 35, 5: multa, magna delicta, Cic. Att. 10, 4, 6: orationem illam, id. ib. 3, 12, 2: famam captae Carthaginis ex industriā, Liv. 26, 51, 11.
VIII —Hence, compressus , a, um, P. a., pressed together , i. e. close, strait, narrow : calculus oris compressioris, Cels. 2, 11; so in comp. , Plin. 16, 10, 19, § 49; 17, 11, 16, § 80.—
2 Costive : venter, Cels. 1, 3: alvus, id. 3, 6: morbi, connected with costiveness , id. praef.—Adv.: compressē .
1 In a compressed manner, briefly, succinctly : compressius loqui (opp. latius), Cic. Fin. 2, 6, 17.—
2 Pressingly, urgently : compressius violentiusque quaerere, Gell. 1, 23, 7; cf. Macr. S. 1, 6.