squeeze

Meanings

Verb

• To apply pressure to from two or more sides at once.
• To embrace closely; to give a tight hug to.
• To fit into a tight place.
• To remove something with difficulty, or apparent difficulty.
• To put in a difficult position by presenting two or more choices.
• To oppress with hardships, burdens, or taxes; to harass.
• To attempt to score a runner from third by bunting.

Noun

• A close or tight fit.
• A difficult position.
• A hug or other affectionate grasp.
• A romantic partner.
• An illicit alcoholic drink made by squeezing Sterno through cheesecloth, etc., and mixing the result with fruit juice.
• The act of bunting in an attempt to score a runner from third.
• A play that forces an opponent to discard a card that gives up one or more tricks.
• A traversal of a narrow passage.
• A moulding, cast or other impression of an object, chiefly a design, inscription etc., especially by pressing wet paper onto the surface and peeling off when dry.
• The gradual closing of workings by the weight of the overlying strata.
• The situation experienced by a middleman when pressured from both sides, especially financially.
• A bribe, fee, or extortionary price paid to a middleman, especially in China; the practice of requiring such a bribe or fee.

Origin

• From earlier squize, squise (whence also dialectal English squizzen and squeege), first attested around 1600, of Unknown further origin; probably an alteration of quease (which is attested since 1550), from Middle English queisen ("to squeeze"), from Old English cwesan, cwysan, itself also of unknown origin, perhaps imitative (compare Swedish qväsa, kväsa, Dutch kwetsen ("to injure, hurt"), German quetschen ("to squeeze")). Or, a blend of obsolete squiss (whence also squash and squish) with quease. Compare also French esquicher from Old Occitan esquichar ("to press, 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.
• The nonstandard strong forms squoze and squozen, attested dialectally since at least the mid-19th century, are by analogy with freeze.