Uncompressing

Part of speech: verb, adjective

Definitions

1. Expanding data or a file that has been compressed into a smaller form back to its original size
2. Restoring a compressed file or data stream to its full, uncompressed state through decompression
3. Extracting and enlarging compressed information to make it usable in its original, expanded format

Etymology: "Uncompressing" is built from three parts: the prefix "un-", the verb "compress", and the suffix "-ing" that marks an ongoing action. "Compress" comes from the Latin "comprimere," meaning to press together, which combines "com-" (together) with "premere" (to press). The "un-" prefix reverses the action, as in "unwrap" or "untie," so the word means undoing a pressing-together. Its most common use is technical. In computing, data is compressed to take up less storage or travel faster across a network, and uncompressing is the reverse process that restores it to its usable form. The same logic applies to physical objects, such as unrolling a compressed foam pad or releasing a spring that has been squeezed, but the computing sense is the one most people encounter.

Synonyms: decompressing

Antonyms: compressing