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.—

2. Pressingly, urgently: compressius violentiusque quaerere, Gell. 1, 23, 7; cf. Macr. S. 1, 6.