dress

Meanings

1. 1
   verb

   To put clothes on yourself or someone else.

   We had to dress quickly to catch the early bus.

2. 2
   verb

   To wear a particular style or type of clothes.

   They always dress in the latest fashion.

3. 3
   verb

   To clean and cover a wound with a bandage.

   The nurse dressed the cut on his arm.

4. 4
   adj

   Requiring smart or formal clothes.

   The invitation said it was a dress dinner.

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)).

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