Word: dress Part of Speech: verb Etymology: PIE word *dwís The verb is from Middle English dressen, dresse (“to arrange, put in order”), from Anglo-Norman, Old French dresser, drecier (modern French dresser), from Late Latin *dīrēctiāre (“to guide, direct”), from Classical Latin dīrēctus, whence English direct. Further akin to Latin regō. The noun is derived from the verb. Compare typologically adorn (<< Latin ōrnō < ōrdō, whence also ōrdinō, English order, ornament); Russian наряжа́ть (narjažátʹ), наря́д (narjád) (akin to ряд (rjad), поря́док (porjádok)). Pronunciation: /dɹes/, /dɹɛs/, /dɹɪs/, /dɾɛs/ 1. To put clothes (or, formerly, armour) on (oneself or someone, a doll, a mannequin, etc.); to clothe. Labels: also, figuratively, reflexive, transitive Example: He was dressed in the latest fashions. Example: My kids are old enough to dress themselves now. 2. To put clothes (or, formerly, armour) on (oneself or someone, a doll, a mannequin, etc.); to clothe. Labels: also, figuratively, reflexive, specifically, transitive Example: [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, […] Example: […] Anthony [i.e., Mark Antony] himſelfe was quite beſotted with Cleopatra’s ſweete ſpeeches, philters, beauty, pleaſing tires: for when ſhe ſailed along the riuer Cydnus, with ſuch incredible pompe in a guilded ſhip, her ſelfe dreſſed like Venus, her maides like the Graces, her Pages like ſo many Cupids, Anthony was amazed, & rapt beyond himſelfe. 3. To design, make, provide, or select clothes (for someone). Labels: transitive Example: The fashion designer was proud to have dressed the queen for the charity event. 4. To arrange or style (someone's hair). Labels: transitive Example: [Domitian] after his manner, with a cheerfull countenance and grieved heart, received the newes: being inwardly pricked, to think that his later counterfet triumph of Germany, wherin certain ſlaves bought for mony were attired and their haire dreſſed as captives of that country, was had in deriſion and iuſtly skorned abroad: […] Example: By and by the King and Queen, who looked in this dress (a white laced waistcoat and a crimson short pettycoat, and her hair dressed à la negligence) mighty pretty; and the King rode hand in hand with her. 5. To adorn or ornament (something). Labels: also, figuratively, transitive Example: It was time to dress the windows for Christmas again. Example: But at night I would roam abroad and play / With the mermaids in and out of the rocks, / Dressing their hair with the white sea-flower, / And holding them back by their flowing locks […] 6. To adorn or ornament (something). Labels: also, figuratively, transitive 7. To adorn or ornament (something). Labels: also, figuratively, transitive 8. To apply a dressing to or otherwise treat (a wound); (obsolete) to give (a wounded person) medical aid. Labels: transitive Example: [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, […] Example: [H]e was deadly pale, and the blood-stained bandage round his head told that he had recently been wounded, and still more recently dressed. 9. To fit or prepare (something) for use; to render (something) suitable for an intended purpose; to get ready. Labels: transitive Example: 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: […] Example: And Aaron ſhall burne thereon [i.e., on the altar of incense] ſweet incenſe euery morning: when he dreſſeth the lamps he ſhal burn incenſe vpon it. 10. To fit or prepare (something) for use; to render (something) suitable for an intended purpose; to get ready. Labels: transitive Example: The ſkinnes of Dogges are dreſſed for gloues, and cloſe Bootes, the vvhich are vſed by ſuch as haue vicerous and ſvvelling Legges or Limbes, for by them the aflicted place receiueth a double reliefe; firſt, it reſiſteth the influent humors, and ſecondly, it is not exaſperated with VVoollen. Example: Very little buſineſs appeared to be going forward in Lichfield. I found however two ſtrange manufactures for ſo inland a place, ſail-cloth and ſtreamers for ſhips; and I obſerved them making ſome ſaddle-cloths, and dreſſing ſheepſkins; but upon the whole, the buſy hand of induſtry ſeemed to be quite ſlackened. 11. To fit or prepare (something) for use; to render (something) suitable for an intended purpose; to get ready. Labels: especially, transitive Example: in mining and metallurgy, to dress ores by sorting and separating them 12. To fit or prepare (something) for use; to render (something) suitable for an intended purpose; to get ready. Labels: transitive 13. To fit or prepare (something) for use; to render (something) suitable for an intended purpose; to get ready. Labels: England, historical, regional, transitive 14. To fit or prepare (something) for use; to render (something) suitable for an intended purpose; to get ready. Labels: transitive 15. To cultivate or tend to (a garden, land, plants, etc.); especially, to add fertilizer or manure to (soil); to fertilize, to manure. Labels: transitive Example: Gard[ener]. Oh what pitie is it that he had not ſo trimde, / And dreſt his land as vve this garden at time of yeare / Do vvound the barke, the skinne of our fruit trees, […] Queene. Oh I am preſt to death through vvant of ſpeaking / Thou old Adams likeneſſe ſet to dreſſe this garden, / How dares thy harſh rude tong ſound this vnpleaſing nevvs? 16. To cut up (an animal or its flesh) for food. Labels: transitive Example: But as he dressed the carcass—cutting it up to bring home—Borg’s gratitude gave way to revulsion. When he tried to extract the liver, which should have been firm and meaty, it deliquesced into a bloody sludge, sliding goopily through his fingers. 17. To prepare (food) for cooking or eating, especially by seasoning it; specifically, to add a dressing or sauce (to food, especially a salad). Labels: transitive Example: 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? Example: Heere Loue, thou ſeeſt how diligent I am, / To dreſſe thy meate my ſelfe, and bring it thee. 18. To design, make, or prepare costumes (for a play or other performance); also, to present (a production) in a particular costume style. Labels: transitive 19. To prepare (a set) by installing the props, scenery, etc. Labels: transitive Example: Mallory, all night long, single-handedly painted and dressed the set so that at eight o'clock Sunday morning when we arrived to make breakfast in the kitchen, there she was sound asleep on the davenport in the set, every prop in place. 20. 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. Labels: transitive Example: to dress the ranks 21. 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. Labels: Northern-England, archaic, transitive Example: [...] I say, bid come before vs Angelo: What figure of vs thinke you, he will beare. For you must know, we haue with speciall soule Elected him our absence to supply; Lent him our terror, drest him with our loue, And giuen his Deputation all the Organs Of our owne powre: What thinke you of it? 22. To break in and train (a horse or other animal) for use. Labels: obsolete, transitive Example: Oh how it ernd my hart when I beheld, / In London ſtreetes, that Coronation day, / VVhen Bullingbroke rode on Roane Barbarie. / That horſe, that thou ſo often haſt beſtride. / That horſe, that I ſo carefully haue dreſt. 23. To prepare (oneself); to make ready. Labels: intransitive, obsolete, reflexive Example: [S]yr Gawayns ſpere brak ⸝ but ſir marhaus ſpere helde ⸝ And therwith ſyre Gawayne and his hors ruſſhed doune to the erthe ⸝ And lyghtly ſyre Gawayne roſe on his feet ⸝ and pulled out his ſwerd ⸝ and dreſſyd hym toward syr Marhaus on foote ⸝ […] 24. To put on clothes. Labels: intransitive Example: I rose and dressed before daybreak. It’s very cold out. Dress warm. 25. To put on clothes. Labels: intransitive, specifically Example: They returned home early to dress for dinner. Example: The three Gentlemen rode out, and returned juſt Time enough to dreſs for dinner. 26. Of a thing: to attain a certain condition after undergoing some process or treatment to fit or prepare it for use. Labels: intransitive 27. To allow one's penis to fall to one side or the other within one's trousers. Labels: euphemistic, intransitive Example: While measuring him for his trousers, the tailor asked him if he dressed to the left or the right. 28. Ellipsis of cross-dress. Labels: abbreviation, alt-of, ellipsis, intransitive, slang 29. 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. Labels: intransitive 30. Of soldiers or troops: to arrange into proper formation; especially, to form into straight lines and at a proper distance from each other. Labels: imperative, intransitive, sometimes Example: Right, dress! 31. Of a sportsperson: to put on the uniform and have the equipment needed to play a sport. Labels: intransitive Example: Due to a left ankle sprain, the basketball player did not dress for the game against Indiana.