press gang
- noun
- Archaic
:
grupo de reclutamiento
- During the war, a press gang roamed the coastal towns, forcing men to join the army against their will.
- men captured by press gang
Examples
-
The press gang would often disrupt local gatherings to recruit young men for military service.
-
The press gang hunted for men fit for sea duty to fulfill a certain quota, and all ages between eighteen and fifty-five were potential targets.
Academic text (2007) -
Fredericks operates the only press gang on the island.
-
Moreover, the poor had no money to bribe members of the press gang.
Academic text (2007) -
Manpower shortages, in turn, led to the use of press gangs to fill the ranks.
Academic text (2007) -
In the 18th century, the government authorized a press gang to round up sailors for the navy.
Antonyms
How Coercive
Surface Forms
Morphology
The components 'press' (to push or force) and 'gang' (a group) transparently suggest a group that forces or compels people, so a B1 learner who knows both words can infer the general idea of coerced recruitment. However, the specific historical/legal sense of organized naval or military impressment and its archaic register are not fully predictable without cultural or historical knowledge, so the expression is only partially transparent.
Etymology
Press gang comes from groups who would press men into the navy by grabbing them in the streets or in pubs. The gang forced people onto ships, so the phrase now means 'a group that forces civilians into service'.