press gang

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press gang

also press·gang (prĕs′găng′)

A company of men under an officer detailed to force men into military or naval service.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

press gang

(Historical Terms) (formerly) a detachment of men used to press civilians for service in the navy or army

vb (tr)

1. (Historical Terms) to force (a person) to join the navy or army by a press gang

2. to induce (a person) to perform a duty by forceful persuasion: his friends press-ganged him into joining the committee.

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

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Noun

press gang - a detachment empowered to force civilians to serve in the army or navy

detachment - a small unit of troops of special composition

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References in periodicals archive ?

Born inNewcastlein 1776, Robert was seized by the press gang in 1804 and found himself serving on Lord Nelson's flagship HMS Victory at the Battle of Trafalgar a year later.

The press-ganged Newcastle man who fought aboard HMS Victory at Trafalgar; Robert Buckless was on board Nelson's flagship during epic sea battle, now his Trafalgar Medal is among medals which are up for auction

Born in Newcastle in 1776, Robert was seized by the press gang in 1804 and found himself serving on Lord Nelson's flagship HMS Victory at the Battle of Trafalgar a year later.

Medal of North Trafalgar sailor up for auction

PRESS GANG The students with Group Editor-in-Chief Lloyd Embley & Mirror Editor Alison Phillips

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Our Lara's kids' eating habits are getting a bit la-di-da 18 MY PHOTO SCRAPBOOK Brit actor Dexter Fletcher on being deafened by Al Pacino, his Press Gang days, and the Lock, Stock reprobates 21 STYLE EDIT A sumptuous velvet bag 22 GROOMED & DOOMED The stars are channeling the Orient, but whose look lacks eastern promise?

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More than 100 of them joined the 'Press Gang' at a birthday disco at the Adega Nightclub to celebrate the third anniversary of Stop Press.

all our yesterdays

One of Julia's early TV roles was playing school newspaper editor Lynda Day in Press Gang. The ITV series, which began in 1989, was written Steven Moffat, who has gone on to work on Doctor Who and Sherlock.

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Written by award winning children's author Donna McDine, "Powder Monkey" is a thumbnail sketch of the impressment experience of 12-year-old Tommy Kitt who was taken by force with his older brother from his parents' farm by a Royal Navy press gang to serve as a powder monkey and ship boy in a battleship at sea.

Powder Monkey

fo foT he an Ga we The Little Voice actress, her co-star Jason Flemyng and director, former Press Gang actor Dexter Fletcher, were among those who had to get out briefly when a fire alarm went off.

JANE IS PLAYING TO THE GALLERY

"Because it is Father's Day they can press gang their dads into bringing them along.

Mermaid swims into Mersey; Explore our Liverpool cruise ship visit calendar at www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/cruiseships Shipping PETER ELSON charts life on the Mersey LINES

2&5 FEATURES Dexter Fletcher opens up about struggling with childhood success after his Press Gang days and how he went off the rails a bit.

CONTENTS

As a former child star (he was Baby Face in Bugsy Malone and starred in Press Gang), Dexter knew the pressure of being young in an adult world.

Dexter Press Gangs old pals

The star of Press Gang, Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels and Hotel Babylon has decided to shake things up, however, by stepping behind the lens for his directorial debut, Wild Bill.