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definitions

window dressing

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noun

the art, act, or technique of trimming the display windows of a store.
misrepresentation of something, so as to give a favorable impression: The company's list of assets included a great deal of window dressing.

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RELATED WORDS

lid, canvas, sheet, mask, screen, cap, envelope, roof, jacket, front, umbrella, dress, top, tent, parade, show, pretension, spectacle, affectation, array

Nearby words

  1. window back,
  2. window blind,
  3. window board,
  4. window box,
  5. window dresser,
  6. window envelope,
  7. window sash,
  8. window seat,
  9. window shade,
  10. window shopping

Origin of window dressing

First recorded in 1780–90
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for window-dressing

British Dictionary definitions for window-dressing

window-dressing

noun

the ornamentation of shop windows, designed to attract customers
the pleasant, showy, or false aspect of an idea, policy, etc, which is stressed to conceal the real or unpleasant nature; façade
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012