press gang
Naval kidnapping squad
A press gang was a group authorized to force men into military or naval service, particularly in 18th-century Britain: The press gang swept through the port town at night.
The verb press-gang means to coerce someone into service or participation against their will: They press-ganged me into helping with the move.
- impressmentForced military recruitment
- conscriptionMandatory military enrollment
- navyMaritime military force
- sailorsMaritime vessel crew members
- sea legsAdjusted to ship motion
merchant ship · kidnap · dead of night · forced · recruitment · shanghaiing · coercion · tavern · rum ration · dockside · port town · seize · strong arm · abduct · Royal Navy · man of war · warship · naval history
- sea talespirate story, sea stories, sea story, mermaid tale, ghost ships
- Royal NavyRoyal Navy, admiral, warship, HMS Victory, battleship
- conscriptionconscription, conscript, conscripts, draftee, draftees
- military enlistmentenlistment, recruit, enlisted, induction, recruits
- Piratespirate, buccaneer, corsair, corsairs, privateers
- ship crewsailor, seaman, crewman, deckhand, first mate
press gangvoluntary enlistment
Unpressured military signup
volunteer recruitment · volunteer army · recruitment office · signing up · joining up
press gangvoluntary service
Unpaid assistance freely offered
wage labor · emancipation · manumission · liberation · discharge
press, gang, pressed, pressing, presses, presser, pressure, pressurize, pressurized