Definition
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.
In Context
- "Anyone with basic first-aid training was pressed into service as a triage nurse after the earthquake."
- "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."
- "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."
- "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."