Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • intransitive verb To press hard on or together; compress.
  • intransitive verb To press gently, as in affection.
  • intransitive verb To exert pressure on, as by way of extracting liquid.
  • intransitive verb To extract by applying pressure.
  • intransitive verb To extract or gain by intimidation or other pressure.
  • intransitive verb To pressure or intimidate (someone) to comply with a demand, as to make an extortion payment.
  • intransitive verb To obtain room for by pressure; cram.
  • intransitive verb To manage to find time or space for.
  • intransitive verb Games To force (an opponent) to use a potentially winning card in a trick he or she cannot take in bridge.
  • intransitive verb To cause (a run or base runner) to score on a squeeze play.
  • intransitive verb To call as balls pitches thrown by (a pitcher) near the edges of the strike zone. Used of an umpire.
  • intransitive verb To give way under pressure.
  • intransitive verb To exert pressure.
  • intransitive verb To force one's way.
  • noun The act or an instance of squeezing.
  • noun A handclasp or brief embrace.
  • noun An amount squeezed out.
  • noun A group crowded together; a crush.
  • noun Financial pressure caused by shortages or narrowing economic margins.
  • noun Pressure or intimidation to comply with a demand, as to make an extortion payment.
  • noun Games A forced discard of a potentially winning card in bridge.
  • noun Baseball A squeeze play.
  • noun Slang One's primary romantic partner or sweetheart.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • To compel to repurchase at disadvantage stock that has been sold short.
  • noun Pressure, or an application of pressure; a hug or embrace; a friendly, sympathetic, or loving grasp: as, a squeeze of the hand.
  • noun Crush; crowding.
  • noun A cast or an impression, as of an inscription or a coin, produced by forcing some plastic material into the hollows or depressions of the surface; especially, such a facsimile or impression made by applying sheets of wet unsized paper to the object to be copied, and thoroughly passing over the sheets with light blows of a stiff brush, so as to force the paper into every inequality.
  • To press forcibly; subject to strong pressure; exert pressure upon: as, to squeeze a sponge; hence, to bruise or crush by the application of pressure: as, to squeeze one's fingers in a vise; apply force or pressure to for the purpose of extracting something: as, to squeeze a lemon.
  • To press in sympathy or affection, or as a silent indication of interest or emotion: as, to squeeze one's hand.
  • To produce or procure by the application of pressure; express; extract: usually with out: as, to squeeze consent from an official.
  • To thrust forcibly; force: with into, or other similar adjunct: as, to squeeze a gown into a box.
  • To harass or oppress by exactions or the like.
  • To obtain a facsimile impression of on paper, by means of water and rubbing or beating. See squeeze, n., 3.
  • To press; press, push, or force one's way through or into some tight, narrow, or crowded place; pass by pressing or pushing.
  • To pass (through a body) under the application of pressure.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • intransitive verb To press; to urge one's way, or to pass, by pressing; to crowd; -- often with through, into, etc..
  • noun The act of one who squeezes; compression between bodies; pressure.
  • noun A facsimile impression taken in some soft substance, as pulp, from an inscription on stone.
  • noun (Mining) The gradual closing of workings by the weight of the overlying strata.
  • noun colloq. Pressure or constraint used to force the making of a gift, concession, or the like; exaction; extortion.
  • transitive verb To press between two bodies; to press together closely; to compress; often, to compress so as to expel juice, moisture, etc.
  • transitive verb Fig.: To oppress with hardships, burdens, or taxes; to harass; to crush.
  • transitive verb To force, or cause to pass, by compression; often with out, through, etc..

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Probably alteration of obsolete quease, to press, from Middle English queisen, from Old English cwȳsan.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

First attested around 1600, probably an alteration of quease (which is attested since 1550), from Old English cwysan ("to squeeze"), of unknown origin, perhaps imitative (compare German quetschen ("to squeeze")). The slang expression "to put the squeeze on (someone or something)", meaning "to exert influence", is from 1711. The baseball term "squeeze play" is first recorded 1905. "Main squeeze" ("most important person") is attested from 1896, the specific meaning "one's sweetheart, lover" is attested by 1980.

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Examples

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  • But only as a way of referring to a boyfriend / girlfriend / partner / love-interest

    January 2, 2008

  • "But these chaps were not much account, really. They were no colonists; their administration was merely a squeeze, and nothing more, I suspect. They were conquerors..." --Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad

    Definition #8 under the Wordnet tab i think...

    March 5, 2011