Where does “decompress” come from?

Decompress comes from English de- plus compress, which derives from Latin comprimere, formed from Latin com- meaning "together" and primere meaning "to press."

decompress (English): To relieve the pressure or compression on...

Definitions

  1. To relieve the pressure or compression on...

Ancestry of “decompress”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishcompressTo make smaller; to press or squeeze together, or...
2Middle Frenchcompresse
3Late Latincompressareto press hard/together
4Latincompressuscompressed, restrained, repressed
5Latincomprimōto compress (squeeze together)
6Latincōn-Used in compounds to indicate a being or bringing together of several objects
7Latincumwith, along with; at; -fold
8Old LatincomAlternative form of cum
9Proto-Italickomwith, along, at
10Proto-Indo-Europeanḱómbeside, near, by, with
11Proto-Indo-EuropeanḱeDeictic particle, here; Post-positional...
12Middle Englishkyt
13Germankittputty certain kinds of cement used for fixing e.g. window panes
14Old High Germankuti
15Proto-West Germanickwidugum, resin
16Proto-Germanickweduzresin
17Proto-Indo-Europeangʷet-resin, gum; to say, speak
18Proto-Indo-Europeangū-to bend; curve; arch; vault; to bow, bend, arch,...

Words derived from “decompress

Every word from Proto-Indo-European gū-