dressing

IPA/ˈdresɪŋ/
KK[drˈɛsɪŋ]IPA/ˈdresɪŋ/

dressing — noun

  • dressingsingular
  • dressingsplural

1. a liquid or semi-liquid sauce that people add to salads and other cold dishes to

1.nounA2
Definition

a liquid or semi-liquid sauce that people add to salads and other cold dishes to give them extra taste, typically prepared by mixing oil with vinegar or lemon juice and adding herbs or spices.

Example

João made a simple dressing with olive oil and lemon juice for the salad.

collocation: salad dressing

The restaurant serves its house dressing on the side so guests can add their own.

Common collocations
  • salad dressing
  • house dressing
  • vinaigrette dressing
  • creamy dressing
  • bottled dressing
  • pour dressing
  • whisk dressing
  • drizzle dressing
Synonyms
  • vinaigrette

    a specific type of dressing made from oil and vinegar, with no cream or mayonnaise

  • sauce

    a broader term; any liquid served with food, including hot sauces

Usage Note

Frequently used in the phrase 'salad dressing'. Bottled dressings are common in supermarkets, but many people make their own at home.

Common Mistakes

I poured the dressing on my steak.
I poured the dressing on my salad.
dressing is a sauce for salads and cold dishes, not for hot meat dishes.

2. a mixture of chopped bread, herbs, vegetables, or grains that is spooned into po

2.nounB1
Definition

a mixture of chopped bread, herbs, vegetables, or grains that is spooned into poultry or other foods and then roasted or baked, or it can be cooked separately in a dish.

Example

Adaeze stuffed the turkey with a savoury dressing made from bread, sage, and onions.

collocation: stuffing + dressing (regional synonym)

Lauren baked the dressing in a separate dish so everyone could have extra.

collocation: bake / cook the dressing separately

Common collocations
  • turkey dressing
  • bread dressing
  • cornbread dressing
  • savoury dressing
  • bake dressing
  • stuff with dressing
Synonyms
  • stuffing

    largely synonymous; 'stuffing' more common in British English and for mixtures cooked inside poultry

Usage Note

In American English, 'dressing' and 'stuffing' are often used interchangeably, though 'stuffing' more commonly refers to mixture actually cooked inside the bird while 'dressing' is baked separately.

Common Mistakes

I put dressing on my baked potato.
I put dressing in the turkey before roasting it.
this sense of dressing is a filling, not a sauce.

3. a piece of clean material such as gauze or a bandage, placed over a cut, burn, o

3.nounB1
Definition

a piece of clean material such as gauze or a bandage, placed over a cut, burn, or wound to protect it and help it heal.

Example

The nurse changed the dressing on Defne's cut every morning before school.

collocation: change / apply a dressing

Keep the dressing dry and clean while the wound heals, or an infection may start.

Common collocations
  • clean dressing
  • sterile dressing
  • change the dressing
  • remove the dressing
  • apply a dressing
  • wound dressing
Synonyms
  • bandage

    a strip of cloth wrapped around a wound; a bandage is one type of dressing

  • gauze

    the specific thin fabric often used as a dressing

Usage Note

Medical dressings must be sterile. The verb 'dress a wound' is used for applying a dressing. Common in first-aid contexts.

Common Mistakes

I put a dressing on my salad to heal my cut.
I put a dressing on the wound to protect it.
dressing as medical material and dressing as salad sauce are completely different senses; context makes the meaning clear.

4. the activity or process of putting clothes onto your body, especially when done

4.nounB1
Definition

the activity or process of putting clothes onto your body, especially when done as a routine or for a special occasion.

Example

Christopher woke up late and rushed through his morning dressing to catch the bus.

collocation: morning dressing routine

Caleb sat on the bed while dressing because his injured leg made standing hard.

Common collocations
  • dressing room
  • dressing table
  • morning dressing
  • dressing area
Synonyms
  • getting dressed

    more common in everyday spoken English; less formal than 'dressing'

Antonyms
  • undressing

    the act of removing clothes, the opposite of dressing

Usage Note

This sense is used more formally or in fixed phrases such as 'dressing room' or 'dressing table'. In everyday conversation, 'getting dressed' is more common than 'dressing' as a noun for this meaning.

Common Mistakes

I finished my dressing quickly.
I finished getting dressed quickly.
'dressing' as a noun for the act of putting on clothes sounds formal; 'get dressed' is more natural in everyday speech.
Idioms

window dressing

idiom

the act of making something appear more attractive, successful, or impressive than it really is, especially in business or politics.

The company's claim about being eco-friendly was mostly window dressing to attract green-minded customers.

Sade called the new policy "pure window dressing" because it made no real changes to working conditions.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All five words refer to liquid or semi-liquid flavourings for food, but they differ in use. 'Dressing' is the broad, everyday word for cold sauces poured over salads and raw vegetables — it covers both oil-and-vinegar mixtures and creamy ones. 'Vinaigrette' is a specific type of dressing made from oil and an acid such as vinegar or lemon juice, often with herbs; it never contains dairy. 'Sauce' is the most general term, covering any liquid served with food, whether hot (pasta sauce, gravy) or cold (chocolate sauce). 'Mayonnaise' is a thick, creamy condiment made from egg yolks, oil, and lemon juice or vinegar; it can be a dressing on its own or the base for creamy dressings. 'Marinade' is a seasoned liquid used to soak raw meat or vegetables before cooking to add flavour and soften them — unlike dressing, it is not served at the table. For example, you might 'whisk a lemon vinaigrette as a dressing for the salad', but you would 'marinate the chicken in a soy-ginger mixture' before grilling it.

dressing ↗vinaigrette ↗sauce ↗mayonnaise ↗marinade ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

  • side of dressing
  • separate dish of dressing

Etymology

LatinOld FrenchEnglish

The word 'dressing' comes from the verb 'dress', which entered English from Old French 'drecier' (to arrange, set straight, direct), ultimately from Latin 'dirigere' (to direct). The original idea was 'to put in order' or 'to prepare'. By the 1500s, 'dress' was used for preparing food (cleaning and seasoning it), which led to 'dressing' meaning a sauce for salads (1500s). The sense of stuffing for poultry developed in the 1800s. The medical meaning — material applied to a wound — appeared in the 1700s, based on the idea of 'preparing' or 'attending to' an injury. The clothing sense is the oldest, dating back to the 1400s, from the meaning 'to put one's attire in order'.