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
G. Terry Madonna and Michael YoungExamples of packing in a Sentence
We finished all our packing yesterday.
I used some old newspapers for packing.
Recent Examples on the Web
Picture your trip Start to visualize all the steps of your trip: packing, driving to the airport, going through security, sitting at your gate.
—Aditi Shrikant, CNBC, 27 Feb. 2025
After learning their shoes had PFAS, the company audited their supply chain, identifying PFAS in 101 places, from shoelaces to packing receipts.
—Arlene Blum, Forbes, 27 Feb. 2025
Their thick skin ensures that this precious juice is the fruit itself has a strong coat of armor to protect it during packing, shipping, and making the trip from the store to your kitchen.
—Karla Walsh, Better Homes & Gardens, 27 Feb. 2025
But there’s a better way to pack a suitcase: with packing cubes.
—Mike Arnot, AFAR Media, 20 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for packing
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Aditi Shrikant, CNBC, 27 Feb. 2025
After learning their shoes had PFAS, the company audited their supply chain, identifying PFAS in 101 places, from shoelaces to packing receipts.
—Arlene Blum, Forbes, 27 Feb. 2025
Their thick skin ensures that this precious juice is the fruit itself has a strong coat of armor to protect it during packing, shipping, and making the trip from the store to your kitchen.
—Karla Walsh, Better Homes & Gardens, 27 Feb. 2025
But there’s a better way to pack a suitcase: with packing cubes.
—Mike Arnot, AFAR Media, 20 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for packing
Cite this Entry
“Packing.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/packing. Accessed 3 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationMedical 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
The Journal of the American Medical Association2
: the material used in packing
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