High-pressure

2 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  High-pressure \High"-pres`sure\ (?; 135), a.
     1. Having or involving a pressure greatly exceeding that of
        the atmosphere; -- said of steam, air, water, etc., and of
        steam, air, or hydraulic engines, water wheels, etc.
        [1913 Webster]
  


     2. Fig.: Urgent; intense; as, a high-pressure business or
        social life.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     3. Using intense psychological pressure or other incentives
        to convince others to do things; aggressively persistent;
        as, high-pressure salesmen; high-pressure tactics.
        [PJC]
  
     {High-pressure engine}, an engine in which steam at high
        pressure is used. It may be either a condensing or a
        noncondensing engine. Formerly the term was used only of
        the latter. See {Steam engine}.
        [1913 Webster]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  high-pressure
       adj : aggressively and persistently persuasive; "a hard-hitting
             advertising campaign"; "a high-pressure salesman" [syn:
              {hard-hitting}]