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

impress \im"press\, n.; pl. impresses.
   1. the act of impressing or making.
      1913 webster

   2. a mark made by pressure; an indentation; imprint; the
      image or figure of anything, formed by pressure or as if
      by pressure; result produced by pressure or influence.
      1913 webster

            the impresses of the insides of these shells.
                                                  --woodward.
      1913 webster

            this weak impress of love is as a figure
            trenched in ice.                      --shak.
      1913 webster

   3. characteristic; mark of distinction; stamp. --south.
      1913 webster

   4. a device. see impresa. --cussans.
      1913 webster

            to describe . . . emblazoned shields,
            impresses quaint.                     --milton.
      1913 webster

   5. see imprest, press to force into service. the act of
      impressing, or taking by force for the public service;
      compulsion to serve; also, that which is impressed.
      1913 webster

            why such impress of shipwrights?      --shak.
      1913 webster

   impress gang, a party of men, with an officer, employed to
      impress seamen for ships of war; a press gang.

   impress money, a sum of money paid, immediately upon their
      entering service, to men who have been impressed.
      1913 webster
see also:
impresses impresa imprest press impress gang press gang 
impress money 

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

press \press\, n. for prest, confused with press.
   a commission to force men into public service, particularly
   into the navy.
   1913 webster

         i have misused the king's press.         --shak.
   1913 webster

   press gang, or pressgang, a detachment of seamen under
      the command of an officer empowered to force men into the
      naval service. see impress gang, under impress.

   press money, money paid to a man enlisted into public
      service. see prest money, under prest, a.
      1913 webster
see also:
press gang pressgang impress gang impress press money prest money 
prest 

[3] : WordNet (r) 2.0

press gang
     n : a detachment empowered to force civilians to serve in the
         army or navy

Chain Gang >> C Words
Chain Gang, definition of term: Chain Gang
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