press-gang

See also: pressgang

English

Alternative forms

• pressgang
• press gang

Etymology

From press +‎ gang.

Pronunciation

• Audio (General American):

  (file)

Noun

press-gang (plural press-gangs)

1. A body of men employed to force others (impress them) into military service, especially naval service.

   Synonym: press (noun) (archaic)

Related terms

• impressment

See also

• draft board
• King's shilling
• take the shilling

 

Verb

press-gang (third-person singular simple present press-gangs, present participle press-ganging, simple past and past participle press-ganged)

1. To force (someone) into military or naval service.

   Synonym: shanghai

   Coordinate terms: conscript, draft

2. To coerce (somebody) into doing something that they are reluctant to do.

   Coordinate term: railroad

Translations

to force into military service

• Bulgarian: мобилизирам принудително (mobiliziram prinuditelno)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 拉丁 (zh) (lādīng), 强征入伍, 抓壮丁, 抓丁, 拉夫 (zh) (lāfū)

• Dutch: ronselaarsbende
• German: zwangsrekrutieren

to coerce (somebody) into doing something that they are reluctant to do

• Finnish: pakkovärvätä, shanghaijata (fi)
• German: zwingen (de)

Anagrams

• gang press