dress

SayDRES/dɹɛs//dɹes/

Pluraldresses

Verbdresses, dressing, dressed

32 meanings of dress

Practice

1
women's garmentnouncountable
A piece of clothing for girls or women that covers the top and has a skirt below the waist.
Like a shirt and a skirt joined together as one piece of clothing.
She wore a blue dress to the party.
The little girl picked a dress with flowers on it.
UsageA dress is one garment. Formal dress means smart clothes for anyone.
Similarfrock, gown
2
verbfigurativelyreflexivetransitive
To put clothes on yourself, someone else, or a doll.
I dress my younger brother every morning before school.
She dressed the doll in a tiny coat.
UsageSay get dressed in the morning, and dress a child in a coat.
Similarclothe
Oppositeundress, strip, disrobe
Note
3
clothing stylenoununcountable
Clothing, especially the kind that suits a certain event or job.
The invitation asked for formal dress.
Office dress is more relaxed on Fridays.
UsageSay formal dress or evening dress.
Similarattire, clothing, garb, wear, apparel
4
verbfigurativelyreflexivetransitive
To wear clothes, or choose someone's clothes, for a particular occasion or in a particular style.
Her mother dressed her for the school dance.
They dress the children in their best clothes for holidays.
UsageSay dress in a suit or dress for a party.
Similarclothe, outfit
5
add sauceverbtransitive
To add sauce, oil, or seasoning to food, especially a salad.
Like giving a salad a coat of oil and flavor before you eat it.
She dressed the salad with oil and lemon.
I always dress my greens before serving them.
UsageSay dress the salad with oil.
Similartoss, season, flavor
Note
6
verbintransitive
To put on the team uniform and gear so you can play in a game.
Only fifteen players dressed for the game on Sunday.
Injured athletes do not dress on game day.
UsageSay a player dressed for the game.
Note
7
verbfigurativelytransitive
To decorate a place or arrange things in it so it looks good, like a shop window or a stage.
They dressed the hall with flowers and ribbons.
We dress the tree with lights every December.
UsageSay dress the hall with flowers.
Similardecorate, adorn, deck, trim
Note
8
final rehearsalnouncountable or uncountableabbreviationellipsis
Short form of dress rehearsal. It means the full practice performance, in costume, before opening night.
We have dress tonight, so everyone needs to be in costume.
The director called a full dress for Friday evening.
UsageTheater people say we have dress tonight.
Note
9
in dragverbslangintransitiveabbreviationellipsis
Short for cross-dress: to wear clothes usually worn by the other sex.
On weekends he likes to dress and go out in a skirt and makeup.
He dresses only at home, where he feels safe in a wig and heels.
UsageSay cross-dress to be clear.
Note

Less common meanings

10
bandage a woundverbtransitive
To clean and cover a wound so it can heal.
The nurse dressed his cut and wrapped it in a bandage.
You should dress the wound before it gets dirty.
UsageUse with to name the covering: dress a wound with a bandage.
Similarbandage
Note
11
style hairverbtransitive
To comb and arrange someone's hair into a style.
The stylist dressed her hair for the wedding.
Servants would dress the queen's hair each morning.
Similarstyle, arrange, set, do
12
verbtransitive
To choose, make, or provide the clothes someone wears, or the costumes for a show.
A famous designer dressed the singer for her tour.
They dress many actors for film roles.
Similarclothe, outfit, style, costume
13
outward shownounfigurativelyuncountable
The outside look of something, especially when meant to make a good impression.
Like wrapping a plain gift in pretty paper to make it look nice.
The old theory appeared in new dress in his latest book.
The old rules returned in the dress of a new law.
UsageSay an old idea comes in new dress.
Similarguise, garb, clothing, form, mantle
Note
14
verbtransitive
To clean and cut up a dead animal for cooking. Also, to weigh a certain amount after this.
The hunter dressed the deer before taking it home.
They dress the chickens at the farm each week.
Note
15
fertilize soilverbtransitive
To care for soil or plants, often by adding fertilizer or manure.
Farmers dress the fields with manure each spring.
She dressed the flower beds before planting.
Similarfertilize, manure, feed, enrich, cultivate
Note
16
verbtransitive
To put soldiers into straight, even lines, or for soldiers to get into straight lines.
The sergeant dressed the ranks before the parade.
Officers dress the troops into neat lines.
Similaralign, straighten
Note
17
prepare for useverbtransitive
To get something ready and make it fit for a certain use.
Like packing and checking your bag so everything is ready before a trip.
Climbers always dress their knots so the strands lie neat and flat.
He dressed the rope and checked every knot before the descent.
Similarprepare, ready, rig, equip, fit
Note
18
verbtransitive
To work on a raw material like stone, wood, ore, or leather so it is ready to use.
Masons dress the stone until its face is flat and smooth.
He dressed the timber with a sharp plane.
Similarfinish, shape, smooth, trim
Note
19
outer coveringnounusually singular
The outer covering of an animal or thing, like a bird's feathers.
Like a coat that an animal wears all the time.
The bird's bright dress made it easy to spot in the trees.
Snow gave the hills a soft white dress overnight.
Similarcoat, covering, mantle, plumage, cloak
Note
20
nounrare
The look or finish of something after it has been treated and made ready to use.
21
verb
Used about a material, to turn out a certain way once it is prepared for use.
22
verb
To decorate a ship with flags for a special day.
23
verbdialectalEngland
To clean grain or flour by shaking out the waste.
24
verb
To make a fishing fly by tying feathers onto a hook.
25
verbarchaicNorthern England
To treat someone as they deserve, often by hitting or scolding them.
26
verbobsolete
To train an animal, such as a horse, for work.
Oh how it ernd my hart when I beheld, / In London ſtreetes, that Coronation day, / VVhen Bullingbroke rode on Roane Barbarie. / That horſe, that thou ſo often haſt beſtride. / That horſe, that I ſo carefully haue dreſt.
1595, [William Shakespeare], The Tragedie of King Richard the Second. (First Quarto)
27
verbobsolete
To get ready.
28
verb
For a man, to keep his private parts on one side inside his pants.
29
nounarchaic
A piece or set of outer clothes for anyone, usually fancy and right for an event or job.
I have been thinking, George, of changing our travelling dreſſes in the morning. I am grown confoundedly aſhamed of mine.
1773, [Oliver] Goldsmith, She Stoops to Conquer
30
nounarchaic
Getting dressed, especially in smart clothes or for a special event.
31
nounarchaic
The lines cut into a millstone for grinding.
32
nounobsolete
Caring for a wound, or the cover put on it.

Practice

Can you tell the meanings of dress apart? Answer 3 quick questions from this page, or write your own sentence and AI will check it.

Origin

The verb comes from Middle English dressen, meaning 'to arrange or put in order'. It came through Old French from a Late Latin word meaning 'to guide or direct'. The noun comes from the verb.

Checked 31 Oct 2026 · 4 facts

The verb derives from Middle English dressen, meaning 'to arrange or put in order'. en.wiktionary.org
The verb came through Old French. en.wiktionary.org
The ultimate source described is a Late Latin verb meaning 'to guide or direct'. en.wiktionary.org
The noun derives from the verb. en.wiktionary.org