Definition

1. Noun:
   • A device for pressing grapes: A winepress is a machine or apparatus specifically designed to crush grapes in order to extract their juice, which is the first step in winemaking.
   • The act or place of pressing grapes: Historically, the term can also refer to the location or the process of pressing grapes.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • The traditional stone winepress was still used at the small vineyard.
  • After harvesting, the grapes are immediately taken to the winepress.

Advanced Usage

• Figurative use: In literary or religious contexts, "winepress" can be used metaphorically to represent a place or situation of great pressure or judgment.
  • The prophet described the battlefield as the winepress of God's wrath.

Variants and Related Words

• Wine press (noun): An alternative spelling, often written as two words.
• Press (noun/verb): The general device or action from which "winepress" is derived.
• Treading vat / Lagar (noun): A specific, often ancient, type of winepress where grapes are crushed by foot.

Synonyms

• Grape press: A more descriptive synonym.
• Crusher: A general term for a device that crushes, though not specific to grapes.

Idioms and Phrases

• "To tread the winepress": An idiom originating from the traditional method of crushing grapes by foot, often used biblically or poetically to signify undergoing or administering great pressure or suffering.
  • The ancient laborers would tread the winepress for hours.

Noun

1. a press that is used to extract the juice from grapes