packing

noun

pack·​ing ˈpa-kiŋ 

1

a

: the action or process of packing something

also : a method of packing

b

: the processing of food and especially meat for future sale

2

: material (such as a covering or stuffing) used to protect packed goods (as for shipping)

also : material used for making airtight or watertight

packing for a faucet

3

US politics : a form of gerrymandering in which election districts are drawn in such a way that voters likely to support the opposing party are concentrated into a single district to limit the influence of their votes in other districts

… it calculates the impact of the two mechanisms that create gerrymandering. The first of these is "packing," which means one side's votes have been overconcentrated so they win by huge margins in a small number of districts (creating a surplus of votes).

—G. Terry Madonna and Michael Young

compare cracking sense 2

Examples of packing in a Sentence

We finished all our packing yesterday.

I used some old newspapers for packing.

Recent Examples on the Web

With summer travel upon us, my packing list is focused on multi-functional pieces that are comfortable, breathable, and easy to wear. — Kristine Thomason, Travel + Leisure, 25 June 2026

Accepted items include packing material, cups, clamshells, meat trays, egg cartons and ice chests. — Michelle Mullins, Chicago Tribune, 25 June 2026

Avoid upgrading your carry-on with this eight-piece packing cube set, designed to neatly organize clothes, shoes, and beauty essentials. — Nicol Natale, PEOPLE, 24 June 2026

Aside from the packing benefits, its 96 percent cotton construction also makes the tank lightweight and breathable for summer. — Abby Moore, InStyle, 24 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing packing

• court packing
• packing crate
• packing peanuts
• packing them in
• send packing

Rhymes for packing

• backing
• blacking
• clacking
• cracking
• hacking
• jacking
• lacking
• racking
• sacking
• slacking
• smacking
• snacking

Medical Definition

packing

noun

pack·​ing ˈpak-iŋ 

1

: the therapeutic application of a pack

hemorrhage … could not be controlled by suture or packing

—The Journal of the American Medical Association

2

: the material used in packing