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

Compression packing cubes are, hands down, the most important accessory in my carry-on-only routine. —Kayla Kitts, Travel + Leisure, 27 Feb. 2026

The poster of the Big East regular-season championship trophy that sits on an easel courtside at UConn’s practice facility was battered, held together by a roll’s worth of clear packing tape at the start of the week. —Joe Arruda, Hartford Courant, 20 Feb. 2026

For a growing number of athletes, the packing list also includes knitting needles to stitch the whole picture together. —Alana Wise, NPR, 20 Feb. 2026

That thick sheet of fluffy, soft lint from a new sweatshirt or a luxe blanket can be used in the garden, to make crafts, or as an eco-friendly packing material. —Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 16 Feb. 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