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

Her early success "only intensified her commitment to stand by the common man - squatting with vendors, arriving wherever there was trouble, dressing simply and making it her hallmark style".

From BBC • May 5, 2026

This past summer Wi Spa also opened a salon for blowouts, called Root Style Bar, adjacent to its women’s dressing room.

From Los Angeles Times • May 5, 2026

"We have lovely chats in the dressing room about all her other tours that she's done."

From BBC • Apr. 29, 2026

There’s a hidden touch too: Rock Zehler’s stylish dressing room, inspired by Art Deco and the 1970s, has a secret closet tucked behind a pocket door.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 29, 2026

Neither of them could be bothered to notice me soaring up on the dressing table, dropping into the tufted jewelry case, beside the orchid corsage.

From "Secrets at Sea" by Richard Peck

Related Words

• filling
• stuffing