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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
With all that said, the selections below are mainly pressure cooker recipes. Kat Chen, Bon Appétit, 11 Sep. 2024 The film will concentrate on the pressure cooker of the decision-making but also capture the scale of the landings. Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 4 Nov. 2024 State of play: Some couples who met during the pressure cooker of COVID and quickly got married are now separating. Mimi Montgomery, Axios, 20 Oct. 2024 Rebecca Hall plays Christine like a pressure cooker accumulating steam, dangerously close to blowing. Gayle Sequeira, Vulture, 10 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for pressure cooker 

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 25 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
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!