packing

noun pack·ing \ ˈpa-kiŋ \

|Updated on: 8 Jul 2018

Definition of packing

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

See packing defined for English-language learners

Examples of packing in a Sentence

We finished all our packing yesterday.
I used some old newspapers for packing.

Recent Examples of packing from the Web

The pieces snap together using a simple push-button release system (no tools needed) and come apart for compact packing.

— judi dash, latimes.com, "This gear makes your world go round, flat, darker and spacier," 2 July 2018
Other times, Houdini allowed his arms and legs to be bound and then was nailed into a packing crate weighted with lead.

— mary carole mccauley, baltimoresun.com, "Behind the magic of Harry Houdini at the Jewish Museum of Maryland," 29 June 2018
The trails pass through small towns at the edge of Wisconsin's Driftless Region, and are great for everything from a full day of pedaling to a multi-day bike packing trip.

— chelsey lewis, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "4 linked trails and 100 miles of biking bliss in western Wisconsin," 21 June 2018
Carlson, a former Fox News anchor who was Miss America 1989, took over the organization after a vulgar email scandal ousted the previous male leadership and sent the pageant’s TV production partner packing.

— amy s. rosenberg, Philly.com, "In the Miss America heartland, contestants stand by their swimsuits," 15 June 2018
Ten years ago, Amazon introduced 100% recyclable packing, so products can ship in their original packaging and don’t need to be put in a second box for shipping.

— elizabeth weise, USA TODAY, "Blue bins overflow with Amazon and Walmart boxes. But we're actually recycling less," 8 June 2018
Here, Buyle shares his favorite places to go deep, the packing essentials for every trip, and the one dive that’s still on his bucket list.

— mara balagtas, Condé Nast Traveler, "The Greatest Things Freediver Fred Buyle Has Seen Underwater," 8 June 2018
Finding those limits with relative comfort (and safety) takes some serious gear and careful packing.

— hans aschim, Popular Mechanics, "What It’s Like to Be in 105-Degree Heat for 5 Days," 8 June 2018
And fittingly, it's shipped in a plastic-free package with biodegradable packing peanuts, to further promote the brand's mission to reduce our carbon footprint.

— refinery29.com, "Lush's New $8 Jelly Bomb Will Turn Your Tub Into A Tropical Beach," 20 June 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'packing.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of packing

14th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1a

See Words from the same year

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PACKING Defined for English Language Learners

packing

noun

Definition of packing for English Language Learners

: the act or process of putting things into bags or boxes
: material that is used to hold or protect things so that they can be moved or sent somewhere