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Dictionary

Words, grammatical forms and meanings linked to the ontology.

press-gang en · NOUN

Pronunciation

  • (General-American) audio

Etymology

From press + gang.

Meanings

  1. A body of men employed to force others (impress them) into military service, especially naval service.
    • "If this is a press gang," Lyle remarked, "you should know that my diet is extremely poor, I'm too tall for trenches and I blow away in a light breeze." 2021 March 14, HarryBlank, “Defence”, in SCP Foundation, archived from the original on 25 Dec 2024:

Forms

SpellingFeaturesLabelsSource
pressgang alternative lexicographic
press-gangs Number=Plur lexicographic
press gang alternative lexicographic

Relateds

take the shilling · King's shilling · draft board · impressment

Synonyms

press

Translations (2)

cy y près (group that forces others into service) · cy dirdorf (group that forces others into service)

wikidata: Q135255440

press-gang en · VERB

Pronunciation

  • (General-American) audio

Etymology

From press + gang.

Meanings

  1. (transitive) To force (someone) into military or naval service.
  2. (transitive) To coerce (somebody) into doing something that they are reluctant to do.

Forms

SpellingFeaturesLabelsSource
press gang alternative lexicographic
press-ganged Tense=Past, VerbForm=Part lexicographic
press-ganged Tense=Past lexicographic
press-ganging Tense=Pres, VerbForm=Part lexicographic
press-gangs Number=Sing, Person=3, Tense=Pres lexicographic
pressgang alternative lexicographic

Coordinates

railroad · draft · conscript

Synonyms

shanghai

Translations (11)

cmn 拉丁 (to force into military service) · bg мобилизирам принудително (to force into military service) · fi pakkovärvätä (to coerce (somebody) into doing something that they are reluctant to do) · cmn 拉夫 (to force into military service) · fi shanghaijata (to coerce (somebody) into doing something that they are reluctant to do) · cmn 强征入伍 (to force into military service) · cmn 抓壮丁 (to force into military service) · nl ronselaarsbende (to force into military service) · de zwingen (to coerce (somebody) into doing something that they are reluctant to do) · de zwangsrekrutieren (to force into military service) · cmn 抓丁 (to force into military service)