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 refrigerator is full of iceberg lettuce, ranch dressing and Diet Coke.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 22, 2026

But there were signs in the early days of Rosenior's short reign that the dressing room were unimpressed with him.

From BBC • Apr. 22, 2026

While counterintuitive, there is an acute need for tailoring even in the current age of casual dressing.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 21, 2026

Shahniani doesn’t perform as a drag queen, but he enjoys dressing up as ’Naynay for different events and theme park visits.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 15, 2026

“I thought you wouldn’t be allowed either. Getting your ears pierced is a lot more permanent than dressing up for Halloween.”

From "A Place at the Table" by Saadia Faruqi and Laura Shovan

Related Words

• filling
• stuffing