dress

Plural: dresses

Noun

a one-piece garment for a woman; has skirt and bodice
clothing of a distinctive style or for a particular occasion
- "battle dress"
clothing in general
- "fastidious about his dress"
An item of clothing (usually worn by a woman or young girl) which both covers the upper part of the body and includes a skirt below the waist.
An item of outer clothing or set of such clothes (worn by people of all sexes) which is generally decorative and appropriate for a particular occasion, profession, etc.
Ellipsis of dress rehearsal.
Apparel or clothing, especially when appropriate for a particular occasion, profession, etc.
The act of putting on clothes, especially fashionable ones, or for a particular (especially formal) occasion.
The external covering of an animal (for example, the feathers of a bird) or an object.
The appearance of an object after it has undergone some process or treatment to fit or prepare it for use; finish.
The external appearance of something, especially if intended to give a positive impression; garb, guise.
The system of furrows on the face of a millstone.
The act of applying a dressing to or otherwise treating a wound; also, the dressing so applied.

Verb

Verb Forms: dressed, drest, dressing, dresses

To put clothes on; to prepare food or arrange hair.
put on clothes
- "we had to dress quickly"
- "dress the patient"
- "Can the child dress by herself?"
provide with clothes or put clothes on
- "Parents must feed and dress their child"
put a finish on
- "dress the surface smooth"
dress in a certain manner
- "She dresses in the latest Paris fashion"
- "he dressed up in a suit and tie"
dress or groom with elaborate care
- "She likes to dress when going to the opera"
kill and prepare for market or consumption
- "dress a turkey"
arrange in ranks
- "dress troops"
decorate (food), as with parsley or other ornamental foods
provide with decoration
- "dress the windows"
put a dressing on
- "dress the salads"
cultivate, tend, and cut back the growth of
- "dress the plants in the garden"
cut down rough-hewn (lumber) to standard thickness and width
convert into leather
- "dress the tanned skins"
apply a bandage or medication to
- "dress the victim's wounds"
give a neat appearance to
- "dress the horses"
arrange attractively
- "dress my hair for the wedding"
To put clothes (or, formerly, armour) on (oneself or someone, a doll, a mannequin, etc.); to clothe.
To put clothes (or, formerly, armour) on (oneself or someone, a doll, a mannequin, etc.); to clothe.
To attire (oneself or someone) for a particular (especially formal) occasion, or in a fashionable manner.
To design, make, provide, or select clothes (for someone).
To arrange or style (someone's hair).
To adorn or ornament (something).
To adorn or ornament (something).
To arrange a display of goods in, or to decorate (a shop or shop window).
To adorn or ornament (something).
To ornament (a ship) by hoisting the national colours at the peak and mastheads, and setting the jack forward; when "dressed full", the signal flags and pennants are added.
To apply a dressing to or otherwise treat (a wound); (obsolete) to give (a wounded person) medical aid.
To fit or prepare (something) for use; to render (something) suitable for an intended purpose; to get ready.
To fit or prepare (something) for use; to render (something) suitable for an intended purpose; to get ready.
To prepare, treat, or curry (animal hide or leather).
To fit or prepare (something) for use; to render (something) suitable for an intended purpose; to get ready.
To prepare by any of many types of physical processing (e.g., breaking, crushing, sorting, sieving, controlled burning or heating).
To fit or prepare (something) for use; to render (something) suitable for an intended purpose; to get ready.
To prepare the surface of (a material, such as lumber or stone; a grindstone or grinding wheel).
To fit or prepare (something) for use; to render (something) suitable for an intended purpose; to get ready.
To remove chaff or impurities from (flour, grain, etc.) by bolting or sifting, winnowing, and other methods.
To fit or prepare (something) for use; to render (something) suitable for an intended purpose; to get ready.
To prepare (an artificial fly) to be attached to a fish hook.
To cultivate or tend to (a garden, land, plants, etc.); especially, to add fertilizer or manure to (soil); to fertilize, to manure.
To cut up (an animal or its flesh) for food.
To prepare (food) for cooking or eating, especially by seasoning it; specifically, to add a dressing or sauce (to food, especially a salad).
To design, make, or prepare costumes (for a play or other performance); also, to present (a production) in a particular costume style.
To prepare (a set) by installing the props, scenery, etc.
To arrange (soldiers or troops) into proper formation; especially, to adjust (soldiers or troops) into straight lines and at a proper distance from each other; to align.
To treat (someone) in a particular manner; specifically, in an appropriate or fitting manner; (by extension, ironic) to give (someone) a deserved beating; also, to give (someone) a good scolding; to dress down.
To break in and train (a horse or other animal) for use.
To prepare (oneself); to make ready.
To put on clothes.
To put on clothes.
To attire oneself for a particular (especially formal) occasion, or in a fashionable manner.
Of a thing: to attain a certain condition after undergoing some process or treatment to fit or prepare it for use.
To allow one's penis to fall to one side or the other within one's trousers.
Ellipsis of cross-dress.
Of an animal carcass: to have a certain quantity or weight after removal of the internal organs and skin; also, to have a certain appearance after being cut up and prepared for cooking.
Of soldiers or troops: to arrange into proper formation; especially, to form into straight lines and at a proper distance from each other.
Of a sportsperson: to put on the uniform and have the equipment needed to play a sport.

Adjective Satellite

suitable for formal occasions
- "a full-dress uniform"
- "dress shoes"
(of an occasion) requiring formal clothes
- "a dress dinner"
- "a full-dress ceremony"

Examples

Amy and Mary looked very pretty in their dresses.
Due to a left ankle sprain, the basketball player did not dress for the game against Indiana.
He came to the party in formal dress.
He was dressed in the latest fashions.
I rose and dressed before daybreak. It’s very cold out. Dress warm.
in mining and metallurgy, to dress ores by sorting and separating them
It was time to dress the windows for Christmas again.
military dress
My kids are old enough to dress themselves now.
Right, dress!
She always tried to dress up her simple Scrabble words with a high-scoring tile.
The fashion designer was proud to have dressed the queen for the charity event.
They returned home early to dress for dinner.
to dress the ranks
While measuring him for his trousers, the tailor asked him if he dressed to the left or the right.

Origin / Etymology

PIE word
*dwís
The verb is from Middle English dressen, dresse (“to arrange, put in order”), from Anglo-Norman, Old French dresser, drecier (modern French dresser), from Late Latin *directiare (“to guide, direct”). Doublet of direct.
The noun is derived from the verb.

Synonyms

apparel, arrange, attire, clip, clothe, clothes, coif, coiffe, coiffure, crop, curry, cut back, decorate, do, dress out, dress up, enclothe, fit out, frock, full-dress, garb, garment, garnish, get dressed, groom, habilitate, line up, lop, plume, preen, primp, prune, raiment, set, snip, tog, trim, wearing apparel, accouter, address, array, bandage, beclothe, dight, don, dress, enrobe, equip, invest, put a bandage on, put on, robe, slip on, vest

Antonyms

undress, clothe, disrobe, get undressed, strip

Scrabble Score: 6

dress: valid Scrabble (US) TWL Word
dress: valid Scrabble Word in Merriam-Webster MW Dictionary
dress: valid Scrabble Word in International Collins CSW Dictionary

Words With Friends Score: 6

dress: valid Words With Friends Word