packing

American  

[pak-ing] / ˈpæk ɪŋ /

noun

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

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

3. the way in which something is 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 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.

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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

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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 concept of packing aesthetically pleasing snacks in a container isn’t new.

From Salon • May 17, 2026

This week it was revealed a chicken sandwich is packing as much salt as five McDonald's cheeseburgers - putting it top of a naughty list of more than 500 sandwiches analysed.

From BBC • May 15, 2026

Police stopped, questioned and frisked those suspected of carrying weapons or casing a business, dissuading the ill-intentioned from packing guns while reducing shootings.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 8, 2026

Since 2006, independent sellers on Amazon's marketplace have used a program called Fulfillment by Amazon to let the company handle packing and shipping their orders.

From Barron's • May 4, 2026

Then I returned to my table and finished packing my bag, determined to ignore him for the rest of my life.

From "Bye Forever, I Guess" by Jodi Meadows

Related Words

• Styrofoam