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
Jalapeno cream cheese, roasted corn, and chipotle dressing give these turkey wraps a delicious southwestern kick.
—
Joie Probst, Midwest Living, 23 May 2026
But although Ortega's Wednesday red carpet moments may seem like another case of method dressing, apparently, the actress is naturally drawn to gothic looks.
—Meg Walters, InStyle, 23 May 2026
Alexa Chung and Tom Sturridge made an argument in favor of his-and-hers dressing in Anderson’s Dior—not matchy-matchy, yet equally appealing.
—José Criales-Unzueta, Vanity Fair, 23 May 2026
Tuchel does not want dressing-room cliques and has put a premium on having a unified group pulling in the same direction.
—Dan Sheldon, New York Times, 23 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for dressing
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Joie Probst, Midwest Living, 23 May 2026
But although Ortega's Wednesday red carpet moments may seem like another case of method dressing, apparently, the actress is naturally drawn to gothic looks.
—Meg Walters, InStyle, 23 May 2026
Alexa Chung and Tom Sturridge made an argument in favor of his-and-hers dressing in Anderson’s Dior—not matchy-matchy, yet equally appealing.
—José Criales-Unzueta, Vanity Fair, 23 May 2026
Tuchel does not want dressing-room cliques and has put a premium on having a unified group pulling in the same direction.
—Dan Sheldon, New York Times, 23 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for dressing
Cite this Entry
“Dressing.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dressing. Accessed 24 May. 2026.
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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
