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

Nylon also tends to be lighter and less bulky compared to canvas or leather, and styles like the Longchamp and Baggu designs below are also collapsible for ease of packing. —Abby Morgan Lebet, Glamour, 16 Dec. 2025

For cold-weather journeys, a winter-ready parka always holds the number one spot on packing lists. —Michelle Baricevic, Travel + Leisure, 16 Dec. 2025

But as a quick recap, this style tent combines the benefits of a hardshell case – quicker packing, tougher on/off-road protection and faster setup – with the expandable size that was once solely the domain of soft-shell RTT models. —New Atlas, 13 Dec. 2025

This quick judgment reduces overthinking, cuts down on suitcase clutter, and keeps the packing process focused on just the travel essentials. —Aly Walansky, Southern Living, 12 Dec. 2025

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