Unpressed

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Not having been flattened or smoothed out, maintaining a natural or original state
2. Remaining in a condition where creasing or flattening has not occurred, thus appearing unaltered
3. Existing in a form that has not undergone any level of pressure or compression, retaining its texture

Etymology: "Unpressed" is built from the prefix "un-", meaning "not", attached to "pressed", the past participle of "press". The base verb "press" comes from Old French "presser", itself from Latin "pressare", a frequentative of "premere", "to press". So the word is a plain compound: "press" meaning to apply force so as to flatten or smooth, with the negative prefix reversing it. The "un-" prefix is one of English's most productive, able to attach to almost any verb to form a reversal or negation, which is why "unpressed" can describe clothes, paper, or flowers that have not been ironed or flattened. Its meaning follows directly from the parts: something that has never had pressure applied to it, and so keeps its original shape.

Synonyms: smooth, flat