packing

American  

[pak-ing] / ˈpæk ɪŋ /

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 British  

/ 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

---

Usage

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!

Other Word Forms

• underpacking noun

Etymology

Origin of packing

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

Example Sentences

The moment an order pops up on the screen, workers jump into action - picking, scanning, and packing items into the trademark brown paper bags with such speed it almost feels robotic.

From BBC

Sounds like something Gran might put in our orange juice at breakfast…I really should start packing.

From Literature

To fix that, Tesla will need a “very big fab that includes logic, memory and packing, domestically.”

From MarketWatch

Andrea, from Cardiff, was resting after packing for a house move in 2024 when she had a stroke - an experience she described as "terrifying".

From BBC

Before packing up your belongings, contact the financial institutions you work with — like banks or investment firms — to check whether they have specific requirements for managing money while you live overseas.

From MarketWatch

Related Words

• Styrofoam