suppress, v.
(səˈprɛs)
Also 6 supress; see also subpress.
[f. L. suppress-, pa. ppl. stem of supprimĕre, f. sup- = sub- 2 + premĕre to press.
See note on supprise v.]
1. trans. To put down by force or authority. a. To cause (a proceeding, an activity) to cease, e.g. to quell (a rebellion); to put a stop to the use or employment of.
| c 1380 [see suppressing vbl. n.]. 1538 Starkey England (1878) 182 The pryncys of our tyme haue thys offyce [sc. of Constable] vtturly suppressyd. 1548 Udall Erasm. Par. Ded. to Q. Katerine 17 A cockesure waie to make al obedient people hate the ghospell, and to prouoke the rulers and magistrates to suppresse it. 1575 Gascoigne Kenelworth Wks. 1910 II. 103 You waters wilde suppresse your waves. 1590 Sir J. Smyth Disc. Weapons 2 Our Long Bowes..no more to be vsed, but to be vtterly suppressed and extinguished. 1601 in Moryson Itin. ii. (1617) 189 To suppresse the present Rebellion in Mounster, I..haue designed foure thousand foot. 1647 Clarendon Hist. Reb. i. §149 To Discountenance, and Suppress all bold enquiries. 1679–88 Secr. Serv. Money Chas. II & Jas. II (Camden) 138 To blow up the houses to suppress the fire. 1699 J. Dunton Acc. Convers. Irel. in Dublin Scuffle etc. 337 A Nonconformist Meeting was supprest at Gallway. 1705 Addison Italy 18 Their Fleet..is now reduced to Six Gallies. When they had made an Addition of but Four new ones, the King of France sent his Orders to suppress them. 1841 D'Israeli Amen. Lit. (1867) 63 The Saxons..found that they could not suppress the language of the fugitive people. 1843 Prescott Mexico (1850) I. 201 Military expeditions..employed to suppress the insurrections of the natives. 1869 Mozley Univ. Serm. i. 1 By simple carnage she [sc. the Church] suppressed the Reformation in Italy, Spain, and France. 1875 Jowett Plato (ed. 2) III. 30 That blasphemous nonsense..is got at secondhand from the poets and ought to be suppressed. |
| transf. a 1862 Buckle Civiliz. (1864) II. v. 403 If a man suppresses part of himself, he becomes maimed and shorn. 1879 G. C. Harlan Eyesight vi. 87 Persons with squint learn to use only one eye, and the image on the retina of the other is said to be ‘suppressed’. |
† b. To put down or overwhelm by force; to vanquish, subdue.
Obs. (
Cf. supprise v. 4.)
| c 1425 Wyntoun Cron. ii. 29 (MS. Cott.), Cam..kynge of Baktranys..Fyrst he [sc. Nynus] suppressit [MS. Wemyss supprisit] wiþe his mycht, And slew hym syne wiþe fors in fycht. 1566 Queen Elizabeth in Ellis Orig. Lett. Ser. iii. III. 361 Yet this we do not conceave of that rebell as of one whom we cannot correct and suppresse. 1579–80 North Plutarch (1595) 47 He caused thirtie of the chiefest men of the cittie..to come into the market place wel appoynted & furnished, to suppresse those that would attempt to hinder their purpose. 1596 Spenser F.Q. vi. i. 41 In vaine he seeketh others to suppresse, Who hath not learnd him selfe first to subdew. 1614 Raleigh Hist. World iv. iii. §18 With an Armie [he] made great hast toward Cilicia, hoping to suppresse him before hee should bee able to make head. 1647 Clarendon Hist. Reb. iv. §60 The Loss of Rochel, by first Suppressing Their Fleet with His Own Royal Ships. c 1720 De Foe Mem. Cavalier ii. 253 Messengers were sent to York for a Party to suppress us. 1794 S. Williams Vermont 373 When the war came on, the leaders of mobs, and the mobs which they created, appeared in their true light: The former sunk into contempt, and the latter were soon suppressed. |
c. To reduce (a person, a community or corporate body) to impotence or inactivity, as by deprivation of office or dissolution;
occas. † to prohibit or restrain from doing something.
| a 1475 [see suppressing vbl. n.]. 1539–40 Wriothesley Chron. (Camden) I. 109 The howse of Sion was suppressed into the Kinges handes. 1545 Brinklow Compl. xxii. (1874) 53 Soch abbeys as thei haue suppressyd. 1573 L. Lloyd Marrow of Hist. (1653) 23 Fortune..never advanced any to dignity, but she suppressed the same again unto misery. 1639 Fuller Holy War v. vi. (1840) 251 Cardinal Wolsey, by leave from the pope, suppressed certain small houses of little value. 1693 Col. Rec. Pennsylv. I. 380 Notwith⁓standing thereof W{supm} Powell does ferrie people over the Skuillkill to the petitioner's damage and yrfor [= therefore] requesting the said W{supm} Powell may be supprest. 1697 View Penal Laws 159 Whosoever shall be lawfully discharged and suppressed touching his making of Mault. 1765 Museum Rust. IV. 198 Forestallers certainly raise the price of markets a little, therefore should be suppressed. 1874 Green Short Hist. iv. §5. 198 The King was strong enough..to suppress the outlaws by rigorous commissions. 1887 Spectator 24 Sept. 1265 The Government..issued proclamations suppressing the National League. |
| transf. 1858 C. W. Goodwin in Cambr. Ess. 271 He exterminated wild beasts and suppressed the crocodiles. |
d. To withhold or withdraw from publication (a book or writing); to prevent or prohibit the circulation of.
| 1560 J. Daus tr. Sleidane's Comm. 310 Y⊇ wryting was suppressed by your captaines and gouernour of your Realme. 1624 Gataker Transubst. 40 To intercept writings, and seeke to suppresse things published. 1644 Milton Areop. (Arb.) 47 Those books..cannot be supprest without the fall of learning. 1738 Birch Life Milton M.'s Wks. I. 46 After the Work was ready for the Press, it was near being suppress'd by the Ignorance or Malice of the Licenser. 1759 Idler No. 67 ¶3, I leave it to you to publish or suppress it. 1867 Smiles Huguenots Eng. i. (1880) 9 The government tried to suppress the book [sc. Tindale's Bible], and many copies were seized and burnt. |
2. To subdue (a feeling, thought, desire, habit).
| 1526 Pilgr. Perf. (W. de W. 1531) 12 b, This gyfte suppresseth and putteth downe all carnalytees. 1598 R. Barckley Felic. Man (1631) 487 Morall vertues are very necessary; for by them our unruly affections and unprofitable desires are bridled or suppressed. 1631 Gouge God's Arrows iii. §47. 271 We ought..if any such [thoughts]..rise, presently to quash and suppresse them. 1711 Shaftesbury Charac. (1737) II. 70 To the suppressing the very habit and familiar custom of admiring natural beautys. a 1721 Sheffield (Dk. Buckhm.) Wks. (1753) I. 8 No cold repulses my desires suppress'd. 1862 Spencer First Princ. i. iii. §15 (1875) 49 Our consciousness of Space and Time cannot be suppressed. |
3. a. To keep secret; to refrain from disclosing or divulging; to refrain from mentioning or stating (either something that ought to be revealed, or that was formerly stated or included, or that may be understood from the context).
| 1533 More Debell. Salem Wks. 1023/1 In the rehearsing againe of hys owne wordes..he is fayne to suppresse and steale awai these his own generall wordes. 1555 Bradford in Strype Eccl. Mem. (1721) III. App. xlv. 127 Yt wyll not suffer me to suppresse or kepe secret from you suche matters. 1615 G. Sandys Trav. 292 The rest I suppresse, in that offensively immodest. 1667 Milton P.L. vii. 123 Things not reveal'd which th' invisible King, Onely Omniscient hath supprest in Night. 1681 H. Consett Pract. Spir. Crts. i. iii. §1 (1700) 10 Whether it were surreptitiously obtained, the truth being supprest. 1697 tr. Burgersdicius' Logic ii. xi. 48 If the Subject of the Consequent be put into the Antecedent, the Major is suppress'd. 1711 [see suppressing vbl. n.]. 1713 Addison Guardian No. 109 ¶2, I shall suppress what has been written to me by those who have reviled me..and only Publish those Letters which approve my Proceedings. 1728 Chambers Cycl. s.v. Suppression, Words that are necessarily imply'd, may be suppress'd. 1796 H. Hunter tr. St. Pierre's Study Nat. (1799) III. 269 She has pronounced his name but once,..and he suppresses it altogether. 1828 Macaulay Hist. Misc. Writ. 1660 I. 241 What is told in the fullest..annals bears an infinitely small proportion to what is suppressed. 1871 Palgrave Lyr. Poems, Pro Mortuis viii, Ah, 'tis but little that the best..Can leave of perfect fruit or flower! Ah, let all else be graciously supprest When man lies down to rest! |
b. To leave (something) out in a system or design.
rare.
| 1851 Pugin Chancel Screens 39 The monstrous idea..of suppressing the return stalls, and throwing open the whole choir. |
4. To restrain from utterance or manifestation; not to express.
| 1557 N.T. (Genev.) 2 Tim. ii. 16 Suppresse prophane and vayne wordes. 1591 Shakes. 1 Hen. VI, iv. i. 182 Well didst thou Richard to suppresse thy voice. 1663 Butler Hud. i. ii. 683 Talgol, who had long supprest Inflamed Wrath, in glowing Breast. 1709 Steele Tatler No. 114 ¶1 The Husband..suppressing and keeping down the Swellings of his Grief. a 1721 Prior Pastoral Dial. 66 Suppress thy Sighs. 1746 Francis tr. Horace, Sat. ii. viii. 83 While Varius with a napkin scarce suppress'd His laughter. 1824 Scott St. Ronan's xxxvi, Here Mowbray could not suppress a movement of impatience. 1859 Dickens T. Two Cities i. v, Nor compressed lips, white with what they suppressed. 1888 F. Hume Mme. Midas i. i, He suppressed his real tastes till he became the husband of Miss Curtis. |
| refl. 1755 Warburton in W. & Hurd's Lett. (1809) 201 How superior is it to any thing we have had or are like to have in the polite way!—but I suppress myself. |
† 5. a. To press down; to depress; to press or weigh upon. Also
absol. Obs.| 1542 [see subpress]. 1547 Boorde Brev. Health cxix, It may come also of a reumatyke humour supressyng the brayne. 1590 Spenser F.Q. i. iii. 19 That disdainfull beast..Vnder his Lordly foot him proudly hath supprest. 1596 Ibid. vi. viii. 18 He staide his hand..Yet nathemore he him suffred to arize; But still suppressing [etc.]. 1597 A. M. tr. Guillemeau's Fr. Chirurg. b iij b/1 The plate layede in the mouth, to keepe downe and suppres the tonge. 1620 [see suppressed ppl. a.]. |
† b. To ravish, violate.
Obs. (
Cf. supprise v. 3.)
| 1590 Spenser F.Q. i. vi. 40 He it was, that earst would haue supprest Faire Vna. |
† 6. fig. To bring or keep low, into or in subjection; to bear heavily upon, weigh down.
Obs.| 1537 Lett. & Papers Hen. VIII, XII. i. 16 My being here doth but with thought weaken the body and suppress the heart. 1542–5 Brinklow Lament. 10 b, The parcialyte of iudges, suppressynge the pore, and aidynge the riche. 1588 Greene Pandosto (1843) 18 Her vital spirits being suppressed with sorrow. 1594 Marlowe & Nashe Dido i. i, Poore Troy so long supprest, From forth her ashes shall aduance her head. a 1618 Raleigh Prerog. Parl. (1628) Ep. Ded., Those that are supprest and helpelesse are commonly silent. a 1649 Drummond of Hawthornden Oath Knight Wks. (1711) 138 Masterful thieves and outlaws, that suppress the poor. |
7. To hinder from passage or discharge; to stop or arrest the flow of.
| 1621 Burton Anat. Mel. ii. v. ii. 481 If blacke blood issue foorth, bleede on, if it be cleere and good, let it be instantly suppressed. 1716 Pope Iliad v. 109 Fate suppress'd his Breath. 1842 Loudon Suburban Hort. 357 Suppressing the direct channel of the sap. 1854 Sir B. Brodie Psychol. Inq. I. iv. 129 Hæmorrhage, which..it was impossible to suppress. |
8. a. To prevent or inhibit (an action or phenomenon);
esp. to eliminate, partly or wholly (electrical interference or unwanted frequencies).
| 1929 T. E. Shea Transmission Networks & Wave Filters i. i. 20 For demodulation and recognition of signals the carrier frequency and one sideband may be suppressed. 1933 Popular Sci. Jan. 57/2 Interference troubles are present in abundance... To suppress these oscillations, 25,000-ohm resistors are placed in each spark plug lead. 1964 R. F. Ficchi Electr. Interference iv. 29 Shielding is the only practical method of suppressing interference which is radiated directly from a source. 1969 J. H. Green Basic Clin. Physiol. xvi. 91/2 The hormones of the adrenal cortex have an action in suppressing allergic responses. 1977 Lancet 5 Nov. 954/2 A 6-day course of oral dexamethasone at a dosage which would completely suppress a.c.t.h. in a person with adrenal insufficiency. 1980 Pierce & Posner Introd. Communication Sci. & Systems x. 224 A data signal with dc suppressed is sent through..single-sideband telephone links. |
b. To fit with a suppressor.
| 1948 Electronic Engin. XX. 95 Garages and service stations are asked to co-operate in ‘suppressing’ cars already on the road. 1955 Times 31 Aug. 5/1 Everyone, he said, should beware of people who told them that all appliances must now be suppressed, especially if they were trying to sell suppressors. 1970 AA Bk. Car. 332 (heading) Suppressing the coil and the dynamo. |