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[dres] /drɛs/
clothing; apparel; garb:
The dress of the 18th century was colorful.
formal attire.
a particular form of appearance; guise.
outer covering, as the plumage of birds.
of or for a dress or dresses.
of or for a formal occasion.
requiring formal dress.
verb (used with object), dressed or drest, dressing.
to put clothing upon.
to put formal or evening clothes on.
to trim; ornament; adorn:
to dress a store window; to dress a Christmas tree.
to design clothing for or sell clothes to.
to comb out and do up (hair).
to cut up, trim, and remove the skin, feathers, viscera, etc., from (an animal, meat, fowl, or flesh of a fowl) for market or for cooking (often followed by out when referring to a large animal):
to make straight; bring (troops) into line:
to dress ranks.
to cultivate (land, fields, etc.).
Theater. to arrange (a stage) by effective placement of properties, scenery, actors, etc.
The bark was dressed with masthead flags only.
  1. to prepare or bait (a fishhook) for use.
  2. to prepare (bait, especially an artificial fly) for use.
to supply with accessories, optional features, etc.:
to have one's new car fully dressed.
verb (used without object), dressed or drest, dressing.
to clothe or attire oneself; put on one's clothes:
Wake up and dress, now!
to put on or wear formal or fancy clothes:
to dress for dinner.
to come into line, as troops.
Verb phrases
dress down,
  1. to reprimand; scold.
  2. to thrash; beat.
  3. to dress informally or less formally:
    to dress down for the shipboard luau.
dress up,
  1. to put on one's best or fanciest clothing; dress relatively formally:
    They were dressed up for the Easter parade.
  2. to dress in costume or in another person's clothes:
  3. to embellish or disguise, especially in order to make more appealing or acceptable:
    to dress up the facts with colorful details.
dress ship,
  1. to decorate a ship by hoisting lines of flags running its full length.
  2. U.S. Navy. to display the national ensigns at each masthead and a larger ensign on the flagstaff.
1275-1325; Middle English dressen < Anglo-French dresser, dresc(i)er, to arrange, prepare, Old French drecier < Vulgar Latin *dīrēctiāre, derivative of Latin dīrēctus direct; noun use of v. in sense “attire” from circa 1600
Related forms
half-dressed, adjective
outdress, verb (used with object)
1. frock. Dress, costume, gown refer to garments for women. Dress is the general term for a garment: a black dress. Costume is used of the style of dress appropriate to some occasion, purpose, period, or character, especially as used on the stage, at balls, at court, or the like, and may apply to men's garments as well: an 18th-century costume. Gown is usually applied to a dress more expensive and elegant than the ordinary, usually long, to be worn on a special occasion: a wedding gown. 2. raiment, attire, clothes, habit, garments, vestments, habiliments. 9. clothe, robe, garb. Unabridged
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British Dictionary definitions for outdress


to put clothes on (oneself or another); attire
  1. to change one's clothes
  2. to wear formal or evening clothes
(transitive) to provide (someone) with clothing; clothe
(transitive) to arrange merchandise in (a shop window) for effective display
(transitive) to comb out or arrange (the hair) into position
(transitive) to apply protective or therapeutic covering to (a wound, sore, etc)
(transitive) to prepare (food, esp fowl and fish) for cooking or serving by cleaning, trimming, gutting, etc
(transitive) to put a finish on (the surface of stone, metal, etc)
(transitive) to till and cultivate (land), esp by applying manure, compost, or fertilizer
(transitive) to prune and trim (trees, bushes, etc)
(transitive) to groom (an animal, esp a horse)
(transitive) to convert (tanned hides) into leather
(transitive) (archaic) to spay or neuter (an animal)
(angling) to tie (a fly)
(military) to bring (troops) into line or (of troops) to come into line (esp in the phrase dress ranks)
(nautical) dress ship, to decorate a vessel by displaying all signal flags on lines run from the bow to the stern over the mast trucks
a one-piece garment for a woman, consisting of a skirt and bodice
complete style of clothing; costume: formal dress, military dress
(modifier) suitable or required for a formal occasion: a dress shirt
the outer covering or appearance, esp of living things: trees in their spring dress of leaves
See also dress down, dress up
Word Origin
C14: from Old French drecier, ultimately from Latin dīrigere to direct
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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Word Origin and History for outdress




Sense of "decorate, adorn" is late 14c., as is that of "put on clothing." Original sense survives in military meaning "align columns of troops." Dress up "attire elaborately" is from 1670s; dressing down "wearing clothes less formal than expected" is from 1960. To dress (someone) down (1769) is ironical. Related: Dressed; dressing.



Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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outdress in Medicine

dress (drěs)
v. dressed, dress·ing, dress·es
To apply medication, bandages, or other therapeutic materials to an area of the body such as a wound.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
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Slang definitions & phrases for outdress


Related Terms

granny dress

Copyright (C) 2007 by HarperCollins Publishers.
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outdress in the Bible


Easton's 1897 Bible Dictionary
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