a strong metal pot with a tight lid (= cover), that cooks food quickly by steam under high pressure Topics Cooking and eatingc2高壓鍋;壓力鍋 a situation that is difficult or dangerous because people are likely to become anxious or violent 一觸即發的危險局勢;劍拔弩張的形勢 I needed to get away from the pressure cooker atmosphere of the campus during finals week. 我需要在期末考試周遠離校園的高壓鍋氛圍。 They performed wonders in keeping the lid on the pressure cooker of a rapidly rising jail population. 他們創造了奇迹,爲迅速增長的監獄人口蓋上了高壓鍋的蓋子。