רָצַץ (b. h.) to press, squeeze, crush. Tanḥ. Ḥuck. 20 נכנסו … ורָצְצוּ וכ׳ the rocks were moved into the caves and crushed all those warriors; Num. R. s. 19. Cant. R. to I, 6 (play on רִצְפָּה, Is. VI, 6) רוֹץ פֶּה רְצוֹץ פה וכ׳ ritspah means rots peh, crush the mouth of him (Isaiah) who spoke ill of my children; Tanḥ. Vayishl. 2; Pesik. R. s. 33 רֹץ פה; Yalk. Num. 764; Yalk. Is. 273 רַצֵּץ (Pi.); Yalk. Kings 218 רצץ. Cant. R. l. c. (play on רְצָפִים I Kings XIX, 6) [read:] רץ פים רצוץ פיות וכ׳ crush the mouths of all who (like Elijah) speak ill of my children. Y. Ab. Zar. II, 40ᶜ bot. שלא יָרוֹץ את וכ׳ lest he (the gentile) break his (the Jew’s) skull. Y. Macc. II, beg. 31ᶜ והושיט … ורְצָצָהּ and a child put forth his hand (under the roller), and he crushed it. Bets. 34ᵃ רְצָצַתָּהּ בהמה a beast squeezed it (an animal, against a wall); Ḥull. III, 3 (56ᵃ) Ms. M. (ed. רִיצְּצַתָּהּ, Pi.). Ex. R. s. 30¹⁷ רָצְצוּ גפנים they crushed the vines; a. fr.—Gen. R. s. 63 (ref. to Gen. XXV, 22) שזה רַץ להרוג וכ׳ this one pressed to kill that one &c. Ib. עשו רץ ומפרכס וכ׳ Esau pressed and struggled to get out.
    Pi. - רִיצֵּץ 1) same. Ḥull. l. c., v. supra. Y. Kidd. IV, end, 66ᶜ הטוב … רַצֵּץ את מוחו the best of the serpents—crush its brain. Yalk. Kings l. c.; Yalk. Is. l. c., v. supra. Midr. Till. to Ps. CXXXVII; Yalk. ib. 884 they put their thumbs into their mouths ומְרַצְּצִים אותם and crushed them (with their teeth); Pesik. R. s. 31 ומרצצים ומקצצים אותם crushed and bit them off; a. e. —2) to push, struggle. Midr. Till. to Ps. LVIII (ref. to ויתרצצו, Gen. XXV, 22) שהיה מְרַצֵּץ עם וכ׳ he (Esau) struggled with his brother in his mother’s womb.
    Hif. - הֵרֵץ same, 1) to crush. Y. Yeb. I, 3ᵃ bot. הרי אתם … בשביל שיָרֵיצּוּ את מוחי you place my head between two high mountains …, that they may crush my brain (you want me to decide between two great authorities); Tosef. Ohol. XVIII, 18. —2) to press, rush in a crowd. Tanḥ. Balak 4; Num. R. s. 20 like the money-changer שהכל מְרִיצִּים לו to whom all rush (to have their coins examined).
    Hithpol. - הִתְרוֹצֵץ, , Nithpol. נִתְרוֹצֵץ to press one another, struggle. Tanḥ. Vayḥi 15 כיון שנתְרוֹצְצוּ וכ׳ when the children struggled together within her.