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

To prove out the findings in real biology, Schramma stuck his arm back into the fish tank, nipped more leaves, and snapped microscope images of the cells within to measure Elodea’s actual packing fractions. —Quanta Magazine, 4 May 2026

Think space-saving packing solutions, genius tech that keeps your devices alive when outlets are scarce, and comfort items that make economy feel a little more bearable. —Chaise Sanders, Travel + Leisure, 3 May 2026

Just think of packing your personal items away as the first step checked off of your packing to-do list! —Cori Sears, The Spruce, 27 Apr. 2026

By Lauren Dana Ellman September 10, 2025 A Traveler's Guide to Building the Perfect Fall Capsule Wardrobe Trim down your packing list with these versatile, reliable pieces. —Lara Kramer, Condé Nast Traveler, 27 Apr. 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