dressing

American  

[dres-ing] / ˈdrɛs ɪŋ /

noun

1. the act of a person or thing that dresses.

2. a sauce for food.

   salad dressing.

3. stuffing for a fowl.

   turkey dressing.

4. material used to dress or cover a wound.

5. manure, compost, or other fertilizers.

6. the ornamental detail of a building, especially that around openings.

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dressing British  

/ ˈdrɛsɪŋ /

noun

1. a sauce for food, esp for salad

2. Also called (in Britain and certain other countries): stuffing.  a mixture of chopped and seasoned ingredients with which poultry, meat, etc, is stuffed before cooking

3. a covering for a wound, sore, etc

4. manure or artificial fertilizer spread on land

5. size used for stiffening textiles

6. the processes in the conversion of certain rough tanned hides into leather ready for use

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Etymology

Origin of dressing

late Middle English word dating back to 1400–50; see origin at dress, -ing ¹

Example Sentences

Major League Baseball’s official app, long one of my favorites, has gradually surrounded baseball scores and video with window dressing that has made the app feel heavier.

From Slate • Jun. 10, 2026

Root left a note on Stokes' peg in the dressing room which said: "Do it your way".

From BBC • Jun. 10, 2026

Christa Miller, who plays consummate mother and opinionated neighbor Liz on “Shrinking,” has one piece of advice for parental dressing: Step away from the athleisure.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 9, 2026

He has admitted he overestimated how well his players would deal with the pressure of the Ashes, yet has to marry that with his determination to remove pressure from the dressing room.

From BBC • Jun. 3, 2026

It was real dinner too—steak and potatoes and even a salad with homemade dressing, not from a bottle or anything.

From Absolutely Almost by Lisa Graff

Related Words

• filling
• stuffing