dressing

noun

dress·​ing ˈdre-siŋ How to pronounce dressing (audio)
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)

Examples of dressing in a Sentence

We had turkey with dressing and potatoes for dinner. The nurse cleaned the cut and applied a dressing.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
This isn’t even a great way to make a salad — the dressing won’t be evenly distributed across the greens, and some bites will wind up with more toppings than others. Celia Ford, Vox, 4 Nov. 2024 His repertoire of recipes includes salads, dressings, fresh pastas and marinara sauce. Brendan Le, People.com, 4 Nov. 2024 Drizzle with 2 tablespoons of the dressing and toss to coat. Julia Levy, Southern Living, 2 Nov. 2024 After your pumpkins have broken down into finished compost, apply that dark, rich compost directly to your garden in spring or summer as a top dressing or side dressing around your plants. Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 28 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for dressing 

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of dressing was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near dressing

Cite this Entry

“Dressing.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dressing. Accessed 23 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

dressing

noun
dress·​ing ˈdres-iŋ How to pronounce dressing (audio)
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 How to pronounce dressing (audio)
: a covering (as of ointment or gauze) applied to a lesion

More from Merriam-Webster on dressing

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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