tr.v., -pressed, -press·ing, -press·es.
- To put an end to forcibly; subdue.
- To curtail or prohibit the activities of.
- To keep from being revealed, published, or circulated.
- To deliberately exclude (unacceptable desires or thoughts) from the mind.
- To inhibit the expression of (an impulse, for example); check: suppress a smile.
- To reduce the incidence or severity of (a hemorrhage or cough, for example); arrest.
[Middle English suppressen, from Latin supprimere, suppress- : sub-, sub- + premere, to press.]
suppressant sup·press'ant n.suppressible sup·press'i·ble adj.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
