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v. dressed, dress·ing, dress·es v.tr. 1. a. To put clothes on; clothe. b. To furnish with clothing. 2. To decorate or adorn: dress a Christmas tree. 3. To garnish: dressed the side dish with parsley. 4. To arrange a display in: dress a store window. 5. To arrange (troops) in ranks; align. 6. To apply medication, bandages, or other therapeutic materials to (a wound). 7. To arrange and groom (the hair), as by styling, combing, or washing. 8. To groom (an animal); curry. 9. a. To fertilize (land or plants). b. Archaic To cultivate (land or plants). 10. To clean (fish or fowl) for cooking or sale. 11. a. To put a finish on (stone or wood, for example). b. To tan or prepare (a hide) in leather-making. v.intr. 1. To put on clothes. 2. To wear clothes of a certain kind or style: dresses casually. 3. To wear formal clothes: dress for dinner. 4. To get into proper alignment with others: The troops dressed on the squad leader. n. 1. Clothing; apparel. 2. A style of clothing: folk dancers in peasant dress. 3. A one-piece outer garment consisting of a skirt and bodice. 4. Outer covering or appearance; guise: an ancient ritual in modern dress. adj. Phrasal Verbs: 1. Suitable for formal occasions: dress shoes. 2. Requiring formal clothes: a dress dinner. dress down 1. To scold; reprimand: I was dressed down by the teacher for lateness. 2. To wear informal clothes, befitting an occasion or location: Many employees dress down on Fridays. dress up Idiom: 1. To wear a costume or style of clothing, especially formal attire: They dressed up for the prom. The children dress up on Halloween. 2. To improve the outward appearance of: The new curtains dressed up the room. She dressed up the speech with famous quotations. dress ship Nautical To display the ensign, signal flags, and bunting on a ship. [Middle English dressen, to arrange, put on clothing, from Old French drecier, to arrange, from Vulgar Latin *dīrēctiāre, from Latin dīrēctus, past participle of dīrigere, to direct; see DIRECT.] |
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