Skip to definition.
Get the FREE one-click dictionary software for Windows or the iPhone/iPad and Android apps


Noun: dressing  dre-sing
  1. Savoury dressings for salads; basically of two kinds: either the thin French or vinaigrette type or the creamy mayonnaise type
    - salad dressing
     
  2. [N. Amer] A mixture of seasoned ingredients used to stuff meats and vegetables
    - stuffing
     
  3. A cloth covering for a wound or sore
    - medical dressing
     
  4. The act of applying a bandage
    - bandaging, binding
     
  5. Making fertile as by applying fertilizer or manure
    - fertilization, fertilisation [Brit], fecundation
     
  6. The activity of getting dressed; putting on clothes
    - grooming
     
  7. A process in the conversion of rough hides into leather
Verb: dress  dres
  1. Put on clothes
    "dress the patient"; "Can the child dress by herself?"; "we had to dress quickly";
    - get dressed
     
  2. Provide with clothes or put clothes on
    "Parents must feed and dress their child";
    - clothe, enclothe, garb, raiment [archaic], tog [informal], garment, habilitate [archaic], fit out, apparel
     
  3. Put a finish on
    "dress the surface smooth"
     
  4. Wear clothes in a certain manner or of a certain style
    "She dresses in the latest Paris fashion"; "he dressed up in a suit and tie";
    - dress up
     
  5. Dress or groom with elaborate care
    "She likes to dress when going to the opera";
    - preen, primp, plume
     
  6. Kill and prepare for market or consumption
    "dress a turkey";
    - dress out
     
  7. Arrange in ranks
    "dress troops";
    - line up
     
  8. Decorate (food), as with parsley or other ornamental foods
    - trim, garnish
     
  9. Provide with decoration
    "dress the windows";
    - decorate
     
  10. (cooking) put a dressing on
    "dress the salads"
     
  11. Cultivate, tend, and cut back the growth of
    "dress the plants in the garden";
    - snip, clip, crop, trim, lop, prune, cut back
     
  12. Cut down rough-hewn (lumber) to standard thickness and width
     
  13. Convert into leather
    "dress the tanned skins"
     
  14. (medicine) apply a bandage or medication to
    "dress the victim's wounds"
     
  15. Give a neat appearance to
    "dress the horses";
    - groom, curry
     
  16. Style or arrange hair attractively
    "dress my hair for the wedding";
    - arrange, set, do, coif, coiffe, coiffure

Derived forms: dressings

See also: dress up, underdress

Type of: adorn, apply, arrange, attire, beautify, care for, change, change state, cloth covering, concoction, conversion, convert, cook, covering, deck out, deck up, decorate, doll up [informal], dress up, embellish, enrichment, fancify, fancy up [informal], fig out [informal], fig up [informal], finish, fix [informal], get up, grace, groom, gussy up [N. Amer, informal], intermixture, make, medical aid, medical care, mixture, neaten, ornament, overdress, pare, position, prepare, prettify, prink, put on, ready, rig out, sauce, set up, thin out, tog out [informal], tog up [informal], treat, trick out, trick up, trim, turn

Antonym: unclothe

Encyclopedia: Dressing

Dress