dress

verb31

1. •
   [with oneself] to put clothes on someone

   • He was dressed in the latest fashions.
   • My kids are old enough to dress themselves now.
2. •
   [with oneself] To attire (oneself or someone) for a particular (especially formal) occasion, or in a fashionable manner.

   • [A]ll the men there shoulde dresse themselves like the poorest sorte of the people in Arcadia, having no banners, but bloudie shirtes hanged upon long staves, […] — 1580
3. •
   To put on clothes.

   • I rose and dressed before daybreak.
   • It’s very cold out. Dress warm.
4. •
   To attire oneself for a particular (especially formal) occasion, or in a fashionable manner.

   • They returned home early to dress for dinner.
5. •
   Of a sportsperson: to put on the uniform and have the equipment needed to play a sport.

   • Due to a left ankle sprain, the basketball player did not dress for the game against Indiana.
6. •
   To fit or prepare (something) for use; to render (something) suitable for an intended purpose; to get ready.

   • Now when the towne his sommonds did disdain, / To conquer it perforce he plyde his pain: / And their, th’Inginers haue the Trepan drest, / And reared vp the Ramme for batterie best: […] — 1584
7. •
   To prepare, treat, or curry (animal hide or leather).
8. •
   To prepare by any of many types of physical processing (e.g., breaking, crushing, sorting, sieving, controlled burning or heating).
9. •
   To prepare the surface of (a material, such as lumber or stone; a grindstone or grinding wheel).
10. •
    To prepare (an artificial fly) to be attached to a fish hook.
11. •
    To cultivate or tend to (a garden, land, plants, etc.); especially, to add fertilizer or manure to (soil); to fertilize, to manure.
12. •
    To cut up (an animal or its flesh) for food.

    • "I'll be with you," said Coo, "never fear me." Jack went home and dressed a noble fish dinner, and got out plenty of his best foreign spirits, enough for that matter to make twenty men drunk. — 1850
13. •
    To prepare (food) for cooking or eating, especially by seasoning it; specifically, to add a dressing or sauce (to food, especially a salad).

    • Old vvom[an]: [O]nce vppon a time his daughter was stollen avvay, and hee sent so long, that he sent all his men out of his Land. / Frol[icke]: VVho drest his dinner then? — 1590
14. •
    Of a thing: to attain a certain condition after undergoing some process or treatment to fit or prepare it for use.
15. •
    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.
16. •
    (historical) To remove chaff or impurities from (flour, grain, etc.) by bolting or sifting, winnowing, and other methods.
17. •
    To design, make, provide, or select clothes (for someone).

    • The fashion designer was proud to have dressed the queen for the charity event.
18. •
    To design, make, or prepare costumes (for a play or other performance); also, to present (a production) in a particular costume style.
19. •
    To apply a dressing to or otherwise treat (a wound); (obsolete) to give (a wounded person) medical aid.

    • [T]he Mayd / His readie vvound with better salues new drest, / Daily she dressed him, and did the best / His grieuous hurt to guarish, that she might, […] — 1590
20. •
    To adorn or ornament (something).

    • It was time to dress the windows for Christmas again.
21. •
    To arrange or style (someone's hair).
22. •
    To arrange a display of goods in, or to decorate (a shop or shop window).
23. •
    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.
24. •
    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.
25. •
    Of soldiers or troops: to arrange into proper formation; especially, to form into straight lines and at a proper distance from each other.

    • Right, dress!
26. •
    To prepare (a set) by installing the props, scenery, etc.
27. •
    (euphemistic) To allow one's penis to fall to one side or the other within one's trousers.

    • While measuring him for his trousers, the tailor asked him if he dressed to the left or the right.
28. •
    (slang) Ellipsis of cross-dress.
29. •
    (no longer used) To break in and train (a horse or other animal) for use.
30. •
    [with oneself] (no longer used) To prepare (oneself); to make ready.
31. •
    (Northern-England, no longer used) 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.

noun11

1. •
   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.

   • Amy and Mary looked very pretty in their dresses.
2. •
   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.

   • I have been thinking, George, of changing our travelling dresses in the morning. I am grown confoundedly ashamed of mine. — 1773
3. •
   (India) Any item of clothing, or an outfit.

   • He wore a bright orange dress to the office yesterday.
4. •
   Apparel or clothing, especially when appropriate for a particular occasion, profession, etc.

   • He came to the party in formal dress.
5. •
   Ellipsis of dress rehearsal.
6. •
   (figurative) The external appearance of something, especially if intended to give a positive impression; garb, guise.

   • Sir, although / VVe may be said to vvant the guilt, and trappings, / The dresse of Honor; yet vve striue to keepe, / The seedes, and the Materialls. — 1610
7. •
   The external covering of an animal (for example, the feathers of a bird) or an object.
8. •
   The appearance of an object after it has undergone some process or treatment to fit or prepare it for use; finish.
9. •
   (no longer used) The act of putting on clothes, especially fashionable ones, or for a particular (especially formal) occasion.
10. •
    (no longer used) The act of applying a dressing to or otherwise treating a wound; also, the dressing so applied.
11. •
    (no longer used, historical) The system of furrows on the face of a millstone.

noun1

1. •
   acronym of drug reaction with eosinophilia and systemic symptoms or drug rash with eosinophilia and systemic symptoms.