I.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, 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. 4, 1, 57; 5, 3, 30; id. Phorm. 5, 9, 29; 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. 5, 6, 28: “manum,” to keep off, id. Heaut. 3, 3, 29: “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 diarrhœa, 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.—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.—