packing

[pak-ing]

noun

1. the act or work of a person or thing that packs. pack.

2. the preparation and packaging package of foodstuffs, especially to be sold at wholesale.

3. the way in which something is packed. pack. packed.

4. an act or instance of transporting supplies, goods, etc., on the backs of horses, mules, or persons.

5. material used to cushion or protect goods packed pack packed in a container.

6. material, often in the form of a grease-impregnated fibrous ring, compressed inside a stuffing box or the like to prevent leakage around the moving shaft of an engine, pump, or valve.

7. Printing.,  rubber, paper, or other material fastened to the tympan or cylinder of a press to provide pressure to produce a printed impression.

packing

/ ˈpækɪŋ /

noun

1. 1. material used to cushion packed goods

   2. ( as modifier )

      a packing needle

2. the packaging of foodstuffs

3. med

   1. the application of a medical pack

   2. gauze or other absorbent material for packing a wound

4. printing sheets of material, esp paper, used to cover the platen or impression cylinder of a letterpress machine

5. any substance or material used to make watertight or gastight joints, esp in a stuffing box

6. engineering pieces of material of various thicknesses used to adjust the position of a component or machine before it is secured in its correct position or alignment

Other Word Forms

• underpacking noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of packing¹

1350–1400; Middle English pakking (gerund). See pack ¹, -ing ¹

Example Sentences

The chorus, usually engaged in packing or cleanup activities for the gallery, was also lively.

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Steve Happ was packing to leave Tennessee for an evangelical mission to Uganda in 2023 when Bank of America told him it was canceling his church’s bank account and his credit cards.

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The government last month issued a newly updated crisis-response handbook featuring a go-bag packing list, with extra check boxes for the elderly, babies and pets.

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Hadeel was packing up when we spoke, planning to join her brother nearby before trying to head south together.

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Michael Carpenter was packing up after a camping trip in the Leicestershire countryside with a big group of friends earlier this year, when a woman in his party realised she'd lost her car keys.

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Related Words

• Styrofoam 

When To Use

What is packing?

Packing is the act of grouping items into a container, especially for storing or moving the items.Packing can also describe the container or wrapping itself used to pack items.Example: The packing on this Christmas gift is too hard to get off!