dress
- 01 A1 Beginner
n.a piece of clothing for a woman or girl that has a top part and a skirt.
n.a one-piece outer garment for women or girls, consisting of a bodice and an attached skirt.
Simple“She wore a beautiful blue dress to her sister's wedding.”
In context“The protagonist's silk dress was designed to shimmer under the stage lights, emphasizing her movement during the final scene.”
- 02 B1 Intermediate
n.clothes in general, especially for a formal or special occasion.
n.clothing or apparel collectively, often of a specified kind or for a particular social occasion.
Simple“The invitation says that formal dress is required for the dinner.”
In context“The traditional dress of the region features intricate embroidery that has remained unchanged for centuries.”
- 03 B2 Upper Intermediate
v.to clean and cover a wound with a bandage.
v.to clean, treat, and apply a protective covering or bandage to a wound.
Simple“The nurse will dress your cut after the doctor examines it.”
In context“The field medic worked quickly to dress the shrapnel wound, applying pressure to stem the bleeding before transport.”
- 04 B1 Intermediate
v.to prepare food for cooking or to add oil and vinegar to a salad.
v.to prepare a carcass for cooking or to add a sauce or seasoning to food, particularly salad.
Simple“You should dress the salad just before you serve it so it stays fresh.”
In context“The chef demonstrated how to dress the poultry efficiently, ensuring the cavity was properly cleaned before stuffing.”
- 05 B2 Upper Intermediate
v.to decorate something, like a shop window or a room.
v.to adorn or ornament a space; specifically used for arranging displays or theatrical sets.
Simple“They spent all night dressing the windows for the Christmas sale.”
In context“The crew worked tirelessly to dress the set, adding period-accurate props to make the 1920s office look authentic.”
- 06 C1 Advanced
v.to move soldiers into a straight line.
v.to align troops or individuals into a straight line or proper formation.
Simple“The sergeant ordered the soldiers to dress the line.”
In context“The platoon was commanded to dress right, ensuring each soldier was perfectly aligned with the person to their immediate side.”
Synonyms
dress vs wear — Wear is the state of having clothes on your body; dress is the act of putting them on.
Usage dress codes
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)).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.