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

Under $100 The SwissGear Sion 21-inch Softside Luggage combines expandable packing with smooth, 360‑degree wheels that make long airport terminals easier to tolerate. —Brandon Schultz, Travel + Leisure, 6 Feb. 2026

Currently, the food bank has two interns who attend the Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts in Boulder and started off working in the packing area of the food bank’s new Aurora facility before moving into the kitchen, Knight said. —Meg Wingerter, Denver Post, 5 Feb. 2026

Araminta inadvertently influences Sophie’s reconnection with Benedict (Luke Thompson) out in the countryside after Sophie’s stepmother sends her packing. —Dessi Gomez, Deadline, 30 Jan. 2026

This means ensuring your cruise packing list has things like hats, sunglasses, sunscreen, insect repellent, and after-sun calming lotion on it. —Jill Schildhouse, Southern Living, 30 Jan. 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