press into service

Hello, you have come here looking for the meaning of the word press into service. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word press into service, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say press into service in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word press into service you have here. The definition of the word press into service will help you to be more precise and correct when speaking or writing your texts. Knowing the definition ofpress into service, as well as those of other words, enriches your vocabulary and provides you with more and better linguistic resources.

English

Pronunciation

  • Audio (AU)(file)

Verb

press into service (third-person singular simple present presses into service, present participle pressing into service, simple past and past participle pressed into service)

  1. (idiomatic) To make someone perform a task or duty, especially one they are not prepared or willing to do; to make something serve a function, especially one it was not designed or intended for.
    Anyone with basic first-aid training was pressed into service as a triage nurse after the earthquake.
    • 1979 January 25, Iain Nicolson, book review, New Scientist, page 269:
      In essence, the book gives a step-by-step account of how the author built, modified and developed his own 6-inch Newtonian reflector, pressing into service such materials as old larder shelves, a car halfshaft, pieces of Meccano, and several coffee-jar tops.
    • 2010, Robert S. McDaniel, Katherine J. McDaniel, Soap Maker's Workshop: The Art and Craft of Natural Homemade Soap, Krause Publications, →ISBN, page 136:
      Even the molds don't have to be expensive — most plastic bins, bowls or drawer dividers can be pressed into service, though silicone molds are readily available.
    • 2011, Colin Barrow, Starting a Business for Dummies, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd, →ISBN, page 51:
      The chances are that you have nearly everything you need to start up your business already somewhere around your home. […] You can press into service a garage, loft, spare bedroom or garden shed for a whole host of business-related takes from holding stock to being a dedicated office space away from the normal hustle of home life.

Synonyms

Wikious
Boobota
Sagapedia