Squooshing

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To flatten or compress something with a squeezing motion
2. To push or squash an object, often resulting in a change of shape or form
3. To create an effect of pressure by applying force on a material or substance, making it less voluminous

Etymology: "Squooshing" is the present participle and gerund of "squoosh", a word built on the same sound-pattern as its relatives. The verb is onomatopoeic: its vowels and consonants imitate the wet, yielding sound of something being pressed flat or compressed. It works as a variant of two older English words, "squash" and "squish", and its extra vowel sound stretches the noise into a longer, squelchier version of either. The form that gives the word its shape is the pairing of a soft initial "s" and a "sh" ending, which sounds like the thing it describes. English has many such words, and speakers tend to choose the one whose sound best matches the squashing they have in mind, so "squoosh" lands between "squash" and "squish" in feel.

Synonyms: squishing, squeezing