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

Dating back from the 1970s to various spring 2025 collections, sheer dressing and variations on the style have been omnipresent, with designers and fashion houses adding their own twists to the style. —Julia Teti, WWD, 7 Oct. 2024

Slice the lamb, mix it with mint, pomegranate seeds, and the dressing, and set it out with lettuce and warm pita breads. 4 of 10Thomas J. Story Yellow Curry Prawns Curry paste is a prime example of the kitchen adage that from scratch is always best. —Sarah Yang, Sunset Magazine, 1 Oct. 2024

Party dressing season is here early thanks to the new collaboration between Rebecca Vallance and Nicky Hilton-Rothschild. —Irina Grechko, refinery29.com, 1 Oct. 2024

Go ahead and skip the pre-salting step, and proceed directly to topping your root veggie matchsticks with your preferred dressing components. —Karla Walsh, Better Homes & Gardens, 30 Sep. 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