pressure cooker

noun

1
: an airtight utensil for quick cooking or preserving of foods by means of high-temperature steam under pressure
2
: a situation or environment that is fraught with emotional or social pressures
pressure-cook verb

Examples of pressure cooker in a Sentence

The new boss has turned the office into a pressure cooker.
Recent Examples on the Web History has shown the Gulf of Mexico can be a pressure cooker, turning systems like this one from wimpy windstorms to devastating monster storms almost overnight under the right conditions. Dinah Voyles Pulver, USA TODAY, 24 Sep. 2024 The mechanism is like a pressure cooker, Li says, with weighty water acting as the release valve. Shi En Kim, Smithsonian Magazine, 16 Sep. 2024 There’s a reason air fryers are such a hot topic (excuse our pun): These multitaskers are some of the most versatile kitchen appliances out there, doing for countertop ovens what Instant Pots did for pressure cookers. Carly Monardo, Bon Appétit, 25 Sep. 2024 That timeline is meant to ensure that any recommendation is made outside the pressure cooker of an election cycle, in which all political parties have come out against the deal. Kayla Tausche and Matt Egan, CNN, 13 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for pressure cooker 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'pressure cooker.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1915, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of pressure cooker was in 1915

Dictionary Entries Near pressure cooker

Cite this Entry

“Pressure cooker.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pressure%20cooker. Accessed 4 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

pressure cooker

noun
: a utensil for cooking or preserving foods by means of steam under pressure
pressure-cook
ˌpresh-ər-ˈku̇k
verb

More from Merriam-Webster on pressure cooker

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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