compression

1 an increase in the density of something [syn: compaction, concretion, densification]

2 the process or result of becoming smaller or pressed together; "the contraction of a gas on cooling" [syn: condensation, contraction]

3 encoding information while reducing the bandwidth or bits required [ant: decompression]

4 applying pressure [syn: compressing] [ant: decompression]

English

Pronunciation

• Rhymes: -ɛʃən

Noun

1. the act of compressing, or the state of being compressed; compaction
2. the cycle of an internal combustion engine during which the fuel and air mixture is compressed
3. the process by which data is compressed
4. the electronic process by which any sound's gain is automatically controlled

Derived terms

• compression ratio
• compression wave
• data compression

Antonyms

• decompression
• rarefaction

Translations

• French: compression, réduction, concision
• Italian: compressione
• Spanish: compresión

Compression may refer to:

• Gas compression, raising the pressure and reducing the volume of gases
• Physical compression, the result of the subjection of a material to compressive stress
• Compression arch suspended-deck bridge, a compression arch rises above the deck
• Compression (geology), a system of forces that tend to decrease the volume of or shorten rocks.
• Compression in zoology and paleontology refers to where an animal, or part of an animal is shorter or narrower compared with other animals in the same group; eg the body of a lizard may be compressed (flattened) so it can better fit into crevices under rocks.
• Compression ratio, a number that predicts the performance of any internal-combustion engine
• Data compression, encoding information using fewer bits
  • Image compression
  • Audio data compression
  • Video compression
    • Compression artifact, noticeable defects in audio or video that has been compressed
  • Bandwidth compression, in telecommunications
• Gain compression in electronic amplifiers, which is a result of device non-linearity
• Audio level compression, usually artificially introduced gain compression to improve the perceived quality of audio
• Compression (functional analysis), in mathematics
• Compression bandage, designed to reduce the flow of blood
• Compression, the opposite of Tension.

Compressibility also has the special meanings:

• Compressibility, a measure of volume change resulting from pressure (typically for fluids)
• Reciprocal of the bulk modulus (typically for solids)

See also

• Gas compressor
• Compressor
• Kompressor
• Compressor (software), Final Cut video and audio compression and encoding application
• compress, a UNIX program
• Compaction
• Decompression
• Expansion
• Compression shorts

abbreviation, abridgment, abstract, agglutination, apocope, astriction, astringency, bottleneck, cervix, circumscription, clamping, clamping down, clumping, clustering, coarctation, compactedness, compaction, compressure, concentration, concretion, condensation, consolidation, conspectus, constriction, constringency, contraction, contracture, crush, curtailment, decrease, densification, diminuendo, elision, ellipsis, epitome, foreshortening, hardening, hourglass, hourglass figure, isthmus, knitting, narrow place, narrowing, neck, nip, pinch, precis, press, pressure, puckering, pursing, recap, recapitulation, reduction, retrenchment, shortening, solidification, squeeze, squeezing, stranglement, strangulation, striction, stricture, summary, summation, syncope, synopsis, systole, telescoping, tightening, truncation, tweak, wasp waist, wrinkling