dressing

noun

dress·​ing ˈdre-siŋ 

1

a

: the act or process of one who dresses

b

: an instance of such act or process

2

a

: a sauce for adding to a dish (such as a salad)

b

: a seasoned mixture usually used as a stuffing (as for poultry)

3

a

: material (such as ointment or gauze) applied to cover a lesion or wound

b

: fertilizing material (such as manure or compost)

Synonyms

• cataplasm
• plaster
• poultice

Examples of dressing in a Sentence

We had turkey with dressing and potatoes for dinner.

The nurse cleaned the cut and applied a dressing.

Recent Examples on the Web

Between the peppy colors and slinky silhouettes, A-listers embraced warm weather dressing—meaning, no bulky coats or knitwear here! —Christian Allaire, Vogue, 20 Oct. 2024

Shake the jar until combined, and enjoy—the chia seeds will add thickness and texture to your dressing. 9. —Merve Ceylan, Health, 14 Oct. 2024

Other cucumber creations he’s made include ones with thousand island dressing, bacon bits and cheddar; crab and kewpie mayo; and peanut butter, chili crisps, and soy sauce. —Andrew Watman, Forbes, 14 Oct. 2024

The color of the sauce is similar to thousand island dressing — which shares a flavor profile with McDonald's Big Mac sauce. —Antonia Debianchi, People.com, 9 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing dressing

• cross-dressing
• dressing-down
• dressing glass
• dressing gown
• dressing room
• dressing table
• French dressing
• house (salad) dressing
• Italian dressing
• ore dressing
• ranch dressing
• Russian dressing
• salad dressing
• side dressing
• Thousand Island dressing
• top dressing
• window dressing

Kids Definition

dressing

noun

dress·​ing ˈdres-iŋ 

1

a

: the act or process of one that dresses

b

: an instance of dressing

2

a

: a sauce for adding to a dish

b

: a seasoned mixture used as a stuffing (as for poultry) or baked and served separately

3

a

: material (as ointment or gauze) used to cover an injury

b

: fertilizing material (as manure or compost)

Medical Definition

dressing

noun

dress·​ing -iŋ 

: a covering (as of ointment or gauze) applied to a lesion