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

pressure \pres"sure\ ?; 138, n. of., fr. l. pressura, fr.
   premere. see 4th press.
   1. the act of pressing, or the condition of being pressed;
      compression; a squeezing; a crushing; as, a pressure of
      the hand.
      1913 webster

   2. a contrasting force or impulse of any kind; as, the
      pressure of poverty; the pressure of taxes; the pressure
      of motives on the mind; the pressure of civilization.
      1913 webster

            where the pressure of danger was not felt.
                                                  --macaulay.
      1913 webster

   3. affliction; distress; grievance.
      1913 webster

            my people's pressures are grievous.   --eikon
                                                  basilike.
      1913 webster

            in the midst of his great troubles and pressures.
                                                  --atterbury.
      1913 webster

   4. urgency; as, the pressure of business.
      1913 webster

   5. impression; stamp; character impressed.
      1913 webster

            all saws of books, all forms, all pressures past.
                                                  --shak.
      1913 webster

   6. mech. the action of a force against some obstacle or
      opposing force; a force in the nature of a thrust,
      distributed over a surface, often estimated with reference
      to the amount upon a unit's area.
      1913 webster

   7. electro-motive force.
      webster 1913 suppl.

   atmospheric pressure, center of pressure, etc. see under
      atmospheric, center, etc.

   back pressure steam engine, pressure which resists the
      motion of the piston, as the pressure of exhaust steam
      which does not find free outlet.

   fluid pressure, pressure like that exerted by a fluid. it
      is a thrust which is normal and equally intense in all
      directions around a point. --rankine.

   pressure gauge, a gauge for indicating fluid pressure; a
      manometer.
      1913 webster
see also:
press atmospheric pressure center of pressure atmospheric center back pressure 
fluid pressure pressure gauge 

[2] : WordNet (r) 2.0

pressure
     n 1: the force applied to a unit area of surface; measured in
          pascals si unit or in dynes cgs unit; "the
          compressed gas exerts an increased pressure" syn: pressure
          level, force per unit area
     2: a force that compels; "the public brought pressure to bear
        on the government"
     3: the act of pressing; the exertion of pressure; "he gave the
        button a press"; "he used pressure to stop the bleeding";
        "at the pressing of a button" syn: press, pressing
     4: the state of urgently demanding notice or attention; "the
        press of business matters" syn: imperativeness, insistence,
         insistency, press
     5: the somatic sensation of pressure; "the sensitivity of his
        skin to pressure and temperature was normal" syn: pressure
        sensation
     6: an oppressive condition of physical or mental or social or
        economic distress
     v 1: to cause to do through pressure or necessity, by physical,
          moral or intellectual means :"she forced him to take a
          job in the city"; "he squeezed her for information"
          syn: coerce, hale, squeeze, force
     2: exert pressure on someone through threats syn: blackmail,
         blackjack
see also:
pressure level force per unit area press pressing imperativeness insistence 
insistency pressure sensation coerce hale squeeze 
force blackmail blackjack 

[3] : Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0

297 moby thesaurus words for "pressure":
   abetment, adverse circumstances, adversity, advocate, affliction,
   aggravation, albatross, annoyance, apply pressure,
   argumentum baculinum, ascendancy, authority, bale, bear against,
   bear down on, bear down upon, bear hard upon, bearing, beset,
   besiege, blandish, blandishment, blight, boost, bug, bummer, bump,
   bunt, burden, burdening, burthen, butt, buttonhole, buttonholing,
   cajole, cajolement, cajolery, call on, call upon, care, caressing,
   cargo, case of need, charge, charging, charisma, charm, clamping,
   clamping down, clout, clutch, coax, coaxing, coerce, coercion,
   compel, compression, compulsion, consequence, constrain,
   constraint, constraints, control, credit, crisis, cross, crunch,
   crush, crushing, cumber, cumbrance, curse, deadweight, demand,
   demandingness, demands, difficulties, difficulty, dig,
   dire necessity, distress, dominance, domination, downer, drag,
   drive, dun, dunning, duress, effect, emergency, eminence,
   enchantment, encouragement, encumbrance, esteem, exert pressure,
   exhort, exigence, exigencies, exigency, favor, feeling, fingering,
   force, freight, friction, frottage, goading, good feeling,
   greatness, handicap, handling, hard knocks, hard life, hard lot,
   hardcase, hardship, head, high pressure, high-pressure, hold,
   hustle, immediacy, impel, imperative, imperativeness, importance,
   importunacy, importunateness, importune, importunity, impulse,
   impulsion, incidental power, incubus, incumbency, inducement,
   influence, influentiality, influentialness, insinuation, insist,
   insist on, insist upon, insistence, instance, intimidate,
   intimidation, irritation, jab, jawbone, jog, joggle, jolt, jostle,
   lading, leadership, lean on, leverage, load, loading, lobby,
   magnetism, make, manipulation, mastery, matter of necessity,
   mental strain, millstone, moment, nag, nag at, nagging, needling,
   nervous strain, nervous tension, nip, nudge, oppression, overload,
   overtaxing, overweighting, palpation, persistence, personality,
   persuade, persuasion, pertinaciousness, pertinacity, pester,
   pestering, petting, pinch, plague, plaguing, plead with, plight,
   ply, plying, poke, potency, power, precedence, predicament,
   predominance, preponderance, press, pressing, pressingness,
   prestige, prevail on, prevail upon, pricking, priority, problems,
   prod, prodding, prominence, punch, purchase, push, put pressure on,
   rank, rash impulse, recommend, reign, repute, require, rigor,
   rubbing, rule, rush, saddling, say, sea of troubles, seniority,
   shove, soft-soap, spurring, squeeze, squeezing, stature, strain,
   straits, strength, stress, stress and strain, stress of life,
   stroking, strong-arm tactics, suasion, subtle influence,
   suggestion, superincumbency, supremacy, surcharge, sway,
   sweet-talk, tautness, taxing, tease, teasing, tenseness, tension,
   the big stick, the bludgeon, the club, the jackboot,
   the mailed fist, the strong arm, the sword, thrust, tightening,
   torque, torsion, touching, trial, tribulation, trouble, troubles,
   tweak, upper hand, urge, urgency, urgent need, urging,
   vale of tears, vexation, vicissitude, violence, weight,
   weightiness, wheedle, wheedling, whip hand, work on

Pressure >> P Words
Pressure, definition of term: Pressure
pressure_pag1.html

Pressure Cooker >> P Words
Pressure Cooker, definition of term: Pressure Cooker
pressure+cooker_pag1.html

Pressure Group >> P Words
Pressure Group, definition of term: Pressure Group
pressure+group_pag1.html

Vapor Pressure >> V Words
Vapor Pressure, definition of term: Vapor Pressure
vapor+pressure_pag1.html

Air Pressure >> A Words
Air Pressure, definition of term: Air Pressure
air+pressure_pag1.html

High Pressure >> H Words
High Pressure, definition of term: High Pressure
high+pressure_pag1.html

Blood Pressure >> B Words
Blood Pressure, definition of term: Blood Pressure
blood+pressure_pag1.html