Pressure

1. The act of pressing, or the condition of being pressed; compression; a squeezing; a crushing; as, a pressure of the hand.
2. A contrasting force or impulse of any kind; as, the pressure of poverty; the pressure of taxes; the pressure of motives on the mind; the pressure of civilization.
3. Affliction; distress; grievance.
4. Urgency; as, the pressure of business.
5. Impression; stamp; character impressed.
6. (Mech.) The action of a force against some obstacle or opposing force; a force in the nature of a thrust, distributed over a surface, often estimated with reference to the amount upon a unit's area.
7. Electro-motive force.
Atmospheric pressure, Center of pressure, etc.
See under Atmospheric, Center, etc.
Back pressure (Steam engine),
pressure which resists the motion of the piston, as the pressure of exhaust steam which does not find free outlet.
Fluid pressure ,
pressure like that exerted by a fluid. It is a thrust which is normal and equally intense in all directions around a point.
Pressure gauge ,
a gauge for indicating fluid pressure; a manometer.