Standard Lemma guide

dressing

noun · verb · 19 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /ˈdɹɛsɪŋ/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -ɛsɪŋ
  • CMU ARPABET: D R EH1 S IH0 NG Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

Material applied to a wound for protection or therapy.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Topics: medicine, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

A sauce, especially a cold one for salads.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Topics: cooking, food, lifestyle

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

Something added to the soil as a fertilizer etc.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

The activity of getting dressed.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

noun

Meaning 5

Dress; raiment; especially, ornamental habiliment or attire.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, obsolete, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

noun

Meaning 6

The stuffing of fowls, pigs, etc.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: forcemeat

Antonyms: none provided

7

noun

Meaning 7

Gum, starch, etc., used in stiffening or finishing silk, linen, and other fabrics.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

8

noun

Meaning 8

An ornamental finish, such as a moulding around doors, windows, or on a ceiling.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

9

noun

Meaning 9

Castigation; scolding; a dressing down.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, dated, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

10

noun

Meaning 10

The process of extracting metals or other valuable components from minerals.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, dated, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

11

noun

Meaning 11

Manure that's applied to one's garden.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: Maine, countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

12

verb

Meaning 12

present participle and gerund of dress

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: form-of, gerund, participle, present

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

13

noun

Meaning 13

the act of applying a bandage

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: bandaging, binding

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: medical care, medical aid

14

noun

Meaning 14

the activity of getting dressed; putting on clothes

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: grooming

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: covering

Narrower terms: investment, primping, toilet, toilette

15

noun

Meaning 15

processes in the conversion of rough hides into leather

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: conversion

16

noun

Meaning 16

a cloth covering for a wound or sore

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: medical dressing

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: cloth covering

Narrower terms: bandage, patch, compress, poultice, cataplasm, plaster, surgical dressing

17

noun

Meaning 17

making fertile as by applying fertilizer or manure

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: fertilization, fertilisation, fecundation

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: enrichment

Narrower terms: top dressing

18

noun

Meaning 18

a mixture of seasoned ingredients used to stuff meats and vegetables

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: stuffing

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: concoction, mixture, intermixture

Narrower terms: turkey stuffing, oyster stuffing, oyster dressing, forcemeat, farce

19

noun

Meaning 19

savory dressings for salads; basically of two kinds: either the thin French or vinaigrette type or the creamy mayonnaise type

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: salad dressing

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: sauce

Narrower terms: sauce Louis, bleu cheese dressing, blue cheese dressing, Roquefort dressing, French dressing, vinaigrette, sauce vinaigrette, Lorenzo dressing, anchovy dressing, Italian dressing, half-and-half dressing, mayonnaise, mayo, Russian dressing, Russian mayonnaise, salad cream, Thousand Island dressing

History

Etymology

From Middle English dressing, dressinge, dressynge, equivalent to dress + -ing.

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

Across languages

Translations

82 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Arabic: غِيَار (ḡiyār) — material applied to a wound
  • Arabic: رِبَاط (ribāṭ) — material applied to a wound
  • Arabic: ضِمَاد (ḍimād) — material applied to a wound
  • Armenian: վիրակապ (virakap) — material applied to a wound
  • Bulgarian: превръзка (prevrǎzka) — material applied to a wound
  • Chinese Mandarin: 敷料 (fūliào) — material applied to a wound
  • Estonian: niit — material applied to a wound
  • Finnish: side — material applied to a wound
  • Finnish: haavaside — material applied to a wound
  • German: Verband — material applied to a wound
  • Japanese: 包帯 (hōtai) — material applied to a wound
  • Kazakh: таңғыш (tañğyş) — material applied to a wound
  • Latin: fōmentum — material applied to a wound
  • Māori: takai — material applied to a wound
  • Māori: tākaikai — material applied to a wound
  • Māori: tāpi — material applied to a wound
  • Māori: whakapiripiri — material applied to a wound
  • Polish: opatrunek — material applied to a wound
  • Portuguese: curativo — material applied to a wound
  • Russian: перевя́зка (perevjázka) — material applied to a wound
  • Russian: повя́зка (povjázka) — material applied to a wound
  • Spanish: vendaje — material applied to a wound
  • Spanish: tirita — material applied to a wound
  • Spanish: cura — material applied to a wound
  • Spanish: curita — material applied to a wound
  • Spanish: apósito — material applied to a wound
  • Tocharian B: śwele — material applied to a wound
  • Arabic: مَرَقَة (maraqa) — sauce, especially a cold one for salads — see also salad dressing
  • Arabic: صَلْصَة (ṣalṣa) — sauce, especially a cold one for salads — see also salad dressing
  • Arabic: ضِمَاد (ḍimād) — sauce, especially a cold one for salads — see also salad dressing
  • Chinese Mandarin: 調味汁 /调味汁 (tiáowèizhī) — sauce, especially a cold one for salads — see also salad dressing
  • Chinese Mandarin: 作料 (zuóliao) — sauce, especially a cold one for salads — see also salad dressing
  • Chinese Mandarin: 沙拉酱 (shālājiàng) — sauce, especially a cold one for salads — see also salad dressing
  • Czech: dresink — sauce, especially a cold one for salads — see also salad dressing
  • Finnish: salaattikastike — sauce, especially a cold one for salads — see also salad dressing
  • French: sauce — sauce, especially a cold one for salads — see also salad dressing
  • Galician: aderezo — sauce, especially a cold one for salads — see also salad dressing
  • German: Dressing — sauce, especially a cold one for salads — see also salad dressing
  • German: Würzsoße — sauce, especially a cold one for salads — see also salad dressing
  • Ancient Greek: ὀξάλμη (oxálmē) — sauce, especially a cold one for salads — see also salad dressing
  • Ancient Greek: σκοροδάλμη (skorodálmē) — sauce, especially a cold one for salads — see also salad dressing
  • Hungarian: salátaöntet — sauce, especially a cold one for salads — see also salad dressing
  • Japanese: ドレッシング (doresshingu) — sauce, especially a cold one for salads — see also salad dressing
  • Kazakh: дәмдеуіш (dämdeuış) — sauce, especially a cold one for salads — see also salad dressing
  • Macedonian: прелив (preliv) — sauce, especially a cold one for salads — see also salad dressing
  • Polish: dressing — sauce, especially a cold one for salads — see also salad dressing
  • Portuguese: tempero — sauce, especially a cold one for salads — see also salad dressing
  • Russian: запра́вка (zaprávka) — sauce, especially a cold one for salads — see also salad dressing
  • Scottish Gaelic: sgeadachadh — sauce, especially a cold one for salads — see also salad dressing
  • Spanish: salsa — sauce, especially a cold one for salads — see also salad dressing
  • Spanish: vinagreta — sauce, especially a cold one for salads — see also salad dressing
  • Spanish: aderezo — sauce, especially a cold one for salads — see also salad dressing
  • Swedish: dressing — sauce, especially a cold one for salads — see also salad dressing
  • Arabic: دَمَال (damāl) — something added to the soil as a fertilizer
  • Chinese Mandarin: 肥料 (féiliào) — something added to the soil as a fertilizer
  • Finnish: lannoite — something added to the soil as a fertilizer
  • Finnish: maanparannusaine — something added to the soil as a fertilizer
  • Irish: leasú — something added to the soil as a fertilizer
  • Japanese: 肥料 (hiryō) — something added to the soil as a fertilizer
  • Portuguese: adubo — something added to the soil as a fertilizer
  • Russian: удобре́ние (udobrénije) — something added to the soil as a fertilizer
  • Arabic: تَلَبُّس (talabbus) — activity of getting dressed
  • Arabic: تَرَدٍّ (taraddin) — activity of getting dressed
  • Bulgarian: обличане (obličane) — activity of getting dressed
  • Chinese Mandarin: 穿衣 (chuānyī) — activity of getting dressed
  • Finnish: pukeutuminen — activity of getting dressed
  • German: Ankleiden — activity of getting dressed
  • Macedonian: облекување (oblekuvanje) — activity of getting dressed
  • Romanian: imbracat — activity of getting dressed
  • Russian: одева́ние (odevánije) — activity of getting dressed
  • Spanish: vestirse — activity of getting dressed
  • Swedish: påklädning — activity of getting dressed
  • Swedish: påklädnad — activity of getting dressed
  • Arabic: لِبَاس (libās) — dress; attire
  • Finnish: puku — dress; attire
  • Finnish: tärkki — substance used for stiffening or finishing
  • Turkish: haşıl — substance used for stiffening or finishing
  • Ottoman Turkish: خشیل (haşıl) — substance used for stiffening or finishing
  • Finnish: koriste — ornamental finish
  • Finnish: haukkuminen — castigation; scolding
  • Finnish: rikastaminen — process of extracting metals or other valuable components from minerals
  • Indonesian: pengolahan bahan galian — process of extracting metals or other valuable components from minerals
Real reading context

dressing in complete knowledge articles