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dressing

/ˈdɹɛsɪŋ/

When referring to food, "dressing" can be a liquid sauce for salads (uncountable) or a bread-based stuffing for meat. In some regions of the US, "stuffing" and "dressing" are used interchangeably, though "dressing" often refers to the mixture when it is cooked separately from the meat. In a medical context, a "dressing" is a physical object (a noun), while "dressing a wound" is the action performed by a professional (a verb). When talking about clothes, "dressing" can be used as an active process. Note that "get dressed" is more common in everyday conversation than "finish dressing."

💬Casual Conversation

🎬Tuesday afternoon, David and Jessica are coordinating a corporate catering order for a client lunch.
Jessica

The salad's on the side. Please tell me you didn't forget the dressing.

Jessica
David
David

I'm on it. Just circling back with the vendor now.

💡
Jessica is displaying her high-anxiety nature by worrying about a small detail (the salad dressing). David responds using 'circling back', a piece of corporate jargon he uses to sound professional and visionary, even in a mundane task.

Meanings

noun

A sauce used for seasoning salads.

"She drizzled a balsamic dressing over the mixed greens."

noun

A sterile pad or gauze applied to a wound to promote healing and protect it from infection.

"The nurse changed the surgical dressing every two days."

noun

A stuffing used for cooking meat, such as turkey.

"My grandmother makes a traditional cornbread dressing for Thanksgiving."

verb (transitive)

To put clothes on someone or something.

"He is dressing the baby in a warm sweater."

verb (transitive)

To clean and prepare a wound by applying a bandage.

"The medic spent ten minutes dressing the soldier's shrapnel wound."

verb (intransitive)

The act of putting on clothes.

"I'll be ready to leave as soon as I finish dressing."

Related Words

Last Updated: May 22, 2026Report an Error