dressing

1 of 2

noun

dress·​ing ˈdre-siŋ 

1

a

: the act or process of one who dresses

b

: an instance of such act or process

2

a

: a sauce for adding to a dish (such as a salad)

b

: a seasoned mixture usually used as a stuffing (as for poultry)

3

a

: material (such as ointment or gauze) applied to cover a lesion or wound

b

: fertilizing material (such as manure or compost)

dressing

2 of 2

present participle of dress entry 1

Synonyms of dressing

Noun

• plaster

Examples of dressing in a Sentence

Noun

We had turkey with dressing and potatoes for dinner.

The nurse cleaned the cut and applied a dressing.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

As someone who loves separates for evening dressing, a black column skirt is my answer to the LBD. — Madeline Fass, Vogue, 14 Sep. 2026

Today’s recipe The Chinese flavor in this Chinois chicken salad created for Wolfgang Puck’s Chinois on Main restaurant comes from the dressing ingredients — Chinese mustard, soy sauce, toasted sesame oil and rice vinegar. — Kevinisha Walker, Los Angeles Times, 14 Sep. 2026

With Murphy, Jaissle felt the winger was vital to the dressing-room dynamic as a leader and someone who speaks regularly to young players. — Chris Waugh, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2026

Instead, fashion, lifestyle and jewelry brands can now enter sporting conversations through alternative avenues of celebrity dressing, partnerships and culturally relevant content. — Alison Bringé, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

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

Phrases Containing dressing

• cross-dressing
• dressing-down
• dressing glass
• dressing gown
• dressing room
• dressing table
• French dressing
• house (salad) dressing
• Italian dressing
• ore dressing
• ranch dressing
• Russian dressing
• salad dressing
• side dressing
• Thousand Island dressing
• top dressing
• window dressing

Rhymes for dressing

• blessing
• guessing
• messing
• pressing
• stressing
• accessing
• addressing
• assessing
• caressing
• compressing
• confessing
• depressing

Kids Definition

dressing

noun

dress·​ing ˈdres-iŋ 

1

a

: the act or process of one that dresses

b

: an instance of dressing

2

a

: a sauce for adding to a dish

b

: a seasoned mixture used as a stuffing (as for poultry) or baked and served separately

3

a

: material (as ointment or gauze) used to cover an injury

b

: fertilizing material (as manure or compost)

Medical Definition

dressing

noun

dress·​ing -iŋ 

: a covering (as of ointment or gauze) applied to a lesion