packing

noun

pack·​ing ˈpa-kiŋ How to pronounce packing (audio)
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 From Cardi and Offset's packing on the PDA to hip-hop icon Roxanne Shante stepping out with her hubby, see who made this year's VMAs date night. Victoria Uwumarogie, Essence, 13 Sep. 2023 Over the years, Bezos and Sánchez have continued to grow together, with the couple going on family vacations, advocating for climate change and packing on the PDA. Brian Brant, Peoplemag, 11 Sep. 2023 Getting together last-minute supplies for her new dorm room, familiarizing herself with campus maps, and packing. Amy Schwabe, USA TODAY, 26 Aug. 2023 Below is both a visible and infrared image of a sheet of aluminum foil with a piece of clear packing tape and also a strip of normal clear tape. Rhett Allain, WIRED, 25 Aug. 2023 White sneakers, which happen to be a perfect, timeless staple to include on your travel packing list no matter the season. Merrell Readman, Travel + Leisure, 4 Sep. 2023 Other useful best-sellers, like this rolling storage cart and this set of packing cubes, are also on sale. Clara McMahon, Peoplemag, 2 Sep. 2023 Or, nest them together for an agile set of organizers that grows with your packing list. Kelsey Glennon, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 Aug. 2023 The hard-sided luggage has a scratch-resistant finish and expands to provide up to 15% more packing space to accommodate all those irresistible souvenirs. Brittany Vanderbill, Better Homes & Gardens, 23 Aug. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'packing.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of packing was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near packing

Cite this Entry

“Packing.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/packing. Accessed 23 Sep. 2023.

Medical Definition

packing

noun
pack·​ing ˈpak-iŋ How to pronounce packing (audio)
1
: the therapeutic application of a pack
hemorrhage … could not be controlled by suture or packingJournal of the American Medical Association
2
: the material used in packing
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!