half-dressed ladies stand like Madonnas in front of their motel rooms.
Seeing the half-dressed turtle, and the father and the canoe both gone, he was thrown into a dreadful panic.
The queen, but half-dressed, was a prey to the itch and other disgusting maladies.
By this time David was half-dressed, and had drawn on the other pair of gloves.
From every doorway men were now stumbling, half-dressed, half-asleep.
"That's Corréjou's," said Honorine, who had left her bed, half-dressed.
Gertrude half-dressed behind the curtains was too clever for her.
And there, half-dressed, unconscious of the cold, we eagerly watched the horizon.
Standing in the middle of the room, half-dressed, she fell to reflecting for a moment.
There were men who had forgotten the ordinary instincts of decency—some half-dressed.
early 14c., "make straight; direct, guide, control, prepare for cooking," from Old French dresser, drecier "raise (oneself), address, prepare, lift, raise, hoist, set up, arrange, set (a table), serve (food), straighten, put right, direct," from Vulgar Latin *directiare, from Latin directus "direct, straight" (see direct (v.)).
Sense of "decorate, adorn" is late 14c., as is that of "put on clothing." Original sense survives in military meaning "align columns of troops." Dress up "attire elaborately" is from 1670s; dressing down "wearing clothes less formal than expected" is from 1960. To dress (someone) down (1769) is ironical. Related: Dressed; dressing.
c.1600, originally any clothing, especially that appropriate to rank or to some ceremony; sense of "woman's garment" is first recorded 1630s, with overtones of "made not merely to clothe but to adorn." Dress rehearsal first recorded 1828.
dress (drěs)
v. dressed, dress·ing, dress·es
To apply medication, bandages, or other therapeutic materials to an area of the body such as a wound.
Related Terms
