Recompression

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The process of restoring pressure to a substance or system after it has been reduced ; the act of compressing something again to return it to its original or desired density or volume ; a procedure used to increase pressure in a medical or technical context following decompression
2. The action of increasing pressure anew on a gas, liquid, or material previously decompressed ; reapplying compression to achieve a specific physical state or operational condition ; a method employed to reverse the effects of pressure release in various scientific or medical settings
3. The technique of applying pressure once more following an initial release to maintain or regain stability ; compressing again to restore density, containment, or functional integrity ; the controlled imposition of pressure in technical and health-related applications after decompression has occurred

Etymology: "Recompression" is a plain formation: the prefix "re-", meaning "again" or "back", attached to "compression", the noun from Latin "compressio", a pressing together, from "comprimere" ("to press together"). Adding "re-" yields the sense of pressing again after pressure has been released. The meaning follows the word's most common use. Divers returning to depth after a decompression stop, and patients placed in hyperbaric chambers to treat conditions such as decompression sickness, are both undergoing recompression. In medicine the term also covers the deliberate reversal of pressure release, which is why a word built from two ordinary parts has become a technical term in fields ranging from diving to engineering.

Synonyms: repressurization