plural dress-ups
Definition of dress-up
(Entry 1 of 2)
1
: a time or occasion for which fancy or formal clothing is worn
Miller used to favor high-necked lace blouses for dress-up and fishing hats for play.— Curry Kirkpatrick Marla feels comfiest in jeans and sweats but likes soft beiges for dress-up. — People Weekly Also like their parents, children want a wardrobe that is suitable for a variety of activities: play, school and dress-up.— Andrea Skinner
2
: a game or activity (as for children) that involves dressing up in special clothing or costumes
Most young children like to play dress-up, parading around the house in their dad's wing tips or smearing their mom's lipstick all over their face.— Christine Gorman Nina was petite but too muscular to wear her mother's cast-off Chanel. She was like a girl playing dress-up.— Tom Jenks I drew pictures with her and played dress-up with our mother's party gowns.— Lorene Cary So get in the spirit with these costume parties, haunted tours, pet dress-ups, … and haunted houses. — Cincinnati.com
dress up
verb
dressed up; dressing up; dresses up
Definition of dress up (Entry 2 of 2)
1
: to make more attractive, glamorous, or fancy
dress up a plain dessert with a rich chocolate sauce
2a
: to attire in best or formal clothes
b
: to attire in clothes suited to a particular role
3
: to present in the most attractive or impressive light
a fiasco dressed up as a triumph
: to get dressed up
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Merriam-Webster unabridged
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Time Traveler for dress-up
The first known use of dress-up was circa 1513
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