press gang

press gang
Impress Im"press, n.; pl. {Impresses}. 1. The act of impressing or making. [1913 Webster]

2. A mark made by pressure; an indentation; imprint; the image or figure of anything, formed by pressure or as if by pressure; result produced by pressure or influence. [1913 Webster]

The impresses of the insides of these shells. --Woodward. [1913 Webster]

This weak impress of love is as a figure Trenched in ice. --Shak. [1913 Webster]

3. Characteristic; mark of distinction; stamp. --South. [1913 Webster]

4. A device. See {Impresa}. --Cussans. [1913 Webster]

To describe . . . emblazoned shields, Impresses quaint. --Milton. [1913 Webster]

5. [See {Imprest}, {Press} to force into service.] The act of impressing, or taking by force for the public service; compulsion to serve; also, that which is impressed. [1913 Webster]

Why such impress of shipwrights? --Shak. [1913 Webster]

{Impress gang}, a party of men, with an officer, employed to impress seamen for ships of war; a {press gang}.

{Impress money}, a sum of money paid, immediately upon their entering service, to men who have been impressed. [1913 Webster]


The Collaborative International Dictionary of English. 2000.

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  • press-gang — press gangs, press ganging, press ganged 1) VERB: usu passive If you are press ganged into doing something, you are made or persuaded to do it, even though you do not really want to. [mainly BRIT] [be V ed into ing/n] I was press ganged into… …   English dictionary

  • press-gang — press gang1 v [T] 1.) press gang sb into doing sth informal to force someone to do something ▪ I don t want to press gang you into doing something you re not happy with. 2.) to force men to work on a ship, by taking them from the streets done in… …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • Press gang — Press Press, n. [For prest, confused with press.] A commission to force men into public service, particularly into the navy. [1913 Webster] I have misused the king s press. Shak. [1913 Webster] {Press gang}, or {Pressgang}, a detachment of seamen …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • press-gang — press′ gang n. a body of persons under the command of an officer, formerly employed to impress others for service, esp. in the military • Etymology: 1685–95 press′ gang , v.t …   From formal English to slang

  • press gang — ► NOUN historical ▪ a body of men employed to enlist men forcibly into service in the army or navy. ► VERB (press gang) ▪ force into service …   English terms dictionary

  • press-gang — [pres′gaŋ΄] vt. 1. Historical to force (someone) into naval or military service by means of a press gang 2. to force (someone) to do something …   English World dictionary

  • press gang — n. [for prest gang: see PRESS2] Historical a group of men who round up other men and force them into naval or military service: also pressgang …   English World dictionary

  • press gang — press ,gang noun count in the past, a group of men whose job was to force other men to join the military …   Usage of the words and phrases in modern English

  • Press Gang — This article is about the British television series Press Gang. For the old military practice of pressing men into service, see Impressment. Infobox television show name = Press Gang caption = Opening titles genre = Comedy Drama camera = Single… …   Wikipedia

  • press-gang — UK / US verb [transitive] Word forms press gang : present tense I/you/we/they press gang he/she/it press gangs present participle press ganging past tense press ganged past participle press ganged 1) informal to force someone into doing something …   English dictionary

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