1
a
: the act or process of one who dresses
b
: an instance of such act or process
2
a
: a sauce for adding to a dish (such as a salad)
b
: a seasoned mixture usually used as a stuffing (as for poultry)
3
a
: material (such as ointment or gauze) applied to cover a lesion or wound
b
: fertilizing material (such as manure or compost)
Examples of dressing in a Sentence
We had turkey with dressing and potatoes for dinner.
The nurse cleaned the cut and applied a dressing.
Recent Examples on the Web
Their kids also embraced traditional dressing for the temple visit.
—
Wwd Staff, Footwear News, 21 Apr. 2025
This pasta salad has the tangy dressing, crunchy croutons, and yes, still some lettuce, all bound together with penne pasta for a winning twist on the classic.
Get the recipe
09 of 21
Broccoli, Grape, and Pasta Salad
Two Southern favorites collide in one out-of-this-world pasta salad.
—Patricia S York, Southern Living, 21 Apr. 2025
Best Top and Sweater Deals Madewell has no shortage of tops that make dressing in unpredictable weather feel effortless.
—Rosie Marder, Travel + Leisure, 19 Apr. 2025
Generously spoon the dressing over everything and add the potato chips.
—Linda Zavoral, Mercury News, 16 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dressing
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Wwd Staff, Footwear News, 21 Apr. 2025
This pasta salad has the tangy dressing, crunchy croutons, and yes, still some lettuce, all bound together with penne pasta for a winning twist on the classic.
Get the recipe
09 of 21
Broccoli, Grape, and Pasta Salad
Two Southern favorites collide in one out-of-this-world pasta salad.
—Patricia S York, Southern Living, 21 Apr. 2025
Best Top and Sweater Deals Madewell has no shortage of tops that make dressing in unpredictable weather feel effortless.
—Rosie Marder, Travel + Leisure, 19 Apr. 2025
Generously spoon the dressing over everything and add the potato chips.
—Linda Zavoral, Mercury News, 16 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dressing
Cite this Entry
“Dressing.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dressing. Accessed 1 May. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
dressing
noun
dress·ing
ˈdres-iŋ 
1
a
: the act or process of one that dresses
b
: an instance of dressing
2
a
: a sauce for adding to a dish
b
: a seasoned mixture used as a stuffing (as for poultry) or baked and served separately
3
a
: material (as ointment or gauze) used to cover an injury
b
: fertilizing material (as manure or compost)
Medical Definition
dressing
noun
dress·ing
-iŋ
: a covering (as of ointment or gauze) applied to a lesion
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