Dress
/dres/
Definitions
4 meaningsA one-piece garment for women or girls, typically having a bodice and a skirt.
/dres/
A one-piece garment for women and girls.
She bought a new dress for the party.
💡 Simply: A dress is like a super cool outfit that's all in one piece! You can wear it to parties, school, or just hanging out. Imagine wearing a superhero costume that's easy to put on – that's a dress!
👶 For kids: A dress is a piece of clothing that girls wear. It covers their body from their shoulders to their legs.
More Examples
The little girl twirled in her pink dress.
The bride wore a white dress for her wedding.
How It's Used
"She wore a beautiful evening dress to the gala."
"The saleswoman helped her find a dress that fit her perfectly."
To put clothes on oneself or another person.
/dres/
To put on clothes.
She dressed in a hurry.
💡 Simply: Dressing means putting on your clothes! It's what you do every morning to get ready for the day. Think about putting on your favorite t-shirt and jeans – you're dressing!
👶 For kids: To dress means to put clothes on.
More Examples
He helped his little sister dress for school.
Please dress warmly because it's cold outside.
How It's Used
"She dressed quickly before going to work."
"Please dress formally for the event."
To prepare food, especially meat, for cooking, or to add a sauce or dressing.
/dres/
To prepare food, especially meat, for cooking.
The chef dressed the salad with a light vinaigrette.
💡 Simply: When you dress food, it means you're getting it ready to eat! Like, putting sauce on your pizza or preparing a turkey for Thanksgiving!
👶 For kids: To dress food means to get it ready to cook or eat. Like putting sauce on your pizza!
More Examples
She dressed the turkey with herbs before roasting it.
Before cooking, dress the vegetables with olive oil and seasonings.
How It's Used
"The chef dressed the salad with a vinaigrette."
"They dressed the chicken before roasting it."
To arrange or decorate something, often for a specific purpose.
/dres/
To arrange or decorate (something).
They dressed the shop windows to attract customers.
💡 Simply: Dressing also means making something look nice or fancy. Like dressing up your house for a party, or making a window look pretty with curtains.
👶 For kids: To dress something means to decorate or make it look nice.
More Examples
The florist dressed the church with flowers for the wedding.
She dressed the stage with props for the play.
How It's Used
"They dressed the windows with new curtains."
"We dressed the Christmas tree with ornaments."
Idioms & expressions
dress up
To wear more formal or special clothes than usual.
"They dressed up for the awards ceremony."
dress down
To wear less formal clothes than usual.
"On casual Fridays, employees can dress down."
From Old French 'dresser' meaning 'to arrange, prepare,' ultimately from Latin 'directus' (past participle of 'dirigere'), meaning 'to set straight.' Evolved to include clothing and the act of putting on clothes.
The word 'dress' has evolved from its earlier meanings related to preparation and arrangement to its current usage concerning clothing.
Memory tip
Think of a woman gracefully wearing a colorful gown; that's a dress!
Word Origin
"to arrange, prepare"