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Added 9 October 2026

squeeze

/skwiːz/ verb

In Latin: comprimō, constringō First recorded: 1600 Wiktionary

verb Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about squeeze at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

To apply pressure (to something) from two or more sides at once.
I squeezed the ball between my hands.
To embrace closely; to give a tight hug to.
To fit into a tight place.
I managed to squeeze the car into that parking space.

noun

An instance of squeezing.
to give something a squeeze
A close or tight fit.
A difficult position.
I'm in a tight squeeze right now when it comes to my free time.

Origin

From earlier squize, squise (whence also dialectal English squizzen and squeege), first attested around 1600, further origin uncertain; probably an alteration of quease (which is attested since 1550), from Middle English queisen (“to squeeze”), from Old English cwȳsan (“to crush, squeeze”), itself also of unknown origin, perhaps imitative (compare Swedish qväsa, kväsa (“to squeeze, bruise, crush; quell”), Dutch kwetsen (“to injure, hurt”), German quetschen (“to squeeze”)). Or, a blend of obsolete squiss (“to squeeze”) (whence also squash and squish) with quease. Compare also French esquicher from Old Occitan esquichar (“to press, squeeze”).

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

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