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to dress

to dress

34 5.3
To make something ready for use by cleaning or shaping it
  • verb
  • /drɛs/
translation icon : tratar
  • After the surgery, the doctor will dress the incision with sterile bandages.
  • dress the wound
  • dress deerskins
  • dressed weight

Examples

  • The nurse will dress the patient's wound before he is taken to the recovery room.

  • Get him on the bed where I can dress the wound.

  • I took the girl to a local physician who cleaned, treated, and dressed the wound.

    Academic text (1996)
  • David's lacerations were cleaned and dressed before he arrived here.

  • I need to dress the wound and rig up a splint, but I can't while the bone is protruding.

  • It is important to properly dress the cuts to prevent infection.

Synonyms

to prepare
vsto dress
1.0

Make something ready for use or an event

focuses on cleaning or treating items rather than planning or organizing
to prep
vsto dress
  • Informal
95 3.6

To get something or yourself ready

involves cleaning or treating items rather than quick informal action
to ready
vsto dress
41 1.0

Make someone or something prepared for use

focuses on cleaning or treating items to make them usable
to dress out
vsto dress
  • NSFW
1 8.7

Remove the insides and clean an animal so you can eat it

is broader and applies to cleaning or treating many different items not just animals

Antonyms

1.0

Choose not to pay attention to someone or something

256 3.8

Fail to care for someone or something you should look after

Idioms

to dress to kill
  • Informal
1 6.2

To wear very attractive clothes to impress people

To wear clothes like a cowboy, for example a hat and boots

Phrasal Verbs

178 2.7

Put on special clothes for an event or to look attractive

61 3.5

Put on a costume to look like someone or something else

Make something look nicer or more attractive for a special event

12 2.9

Make something look better than it really is

Put on warm clothes to stay warm in cold weather

to dress down
  • Informal
3 6.3

To angrily tell someone they did something wrong

3 4.2

Put decorations on animals for special events

Wear clothes that suit the event or weather

to dress down
  • Informal
1 3.8

To wear casual clothes instead of formal ones

1 8.7

Remove the insides and clean an animal so you can eat it

to dress ship
  • Specialized
8.5

Put flags on a ship for a ceremony or festival

To wear a simple white sheet as a ghost costume at Halloween

To make something look better than it is to trick people

Compounds

62 1.0

A long formal gown worn by a bride at her wedding

40 2.5

Rules about what clothes people can or must wear in a place

26 1.0

A dress that is black and often worn for formal or special occasions

dress rehearsal
  • Specialized
20 3.3

A full practice of a play in costume before opening night

A short elegant dress for women to wear at evening events

9 2.7

A formal men's shirt with a stiff front, worn with a tuxedo

dress uniform
  • Specialized
8 4.1

A formal uniform worn by people in the military for ceremonies and official events

A formal dress worn by women for evening events

A simple black dress to wear to many events like a party or dinner

6 1.1

A shop that sells women's dresses and matching jewelry

5 3.5

A costume people wear to hide who they are at a party

dress blues
  • Jargon
5 6.1

A formal military uniform worn for ceremonies and official events

2 2.6

A very short dress that ends well above the knees

2 3.1

A dress made of soft velvet worn for special occasions

dress whites
  • Specialized
1 6.0

Formal white uniforms people in the military wear for ceremonies

full dress
  • Formal
1 6.8

Formal evening clothes for men worn at very important events

battle dress
  • Specialized
1 6.0

A soldier's uniform worn for fighting and work in the field

1 7.0

A formal party where people wear costumes and masks and dance

1 6.0

A very formal uniform that military or navy officers wear at official ceremonies

Ordinary clothes worn by people who are not soldiers, police, or religious leaders

1 5.4

A curved section of seats above the main floor with a good view of the stage

1 3.5

A formal men's outfit with a tailcoat and trousers for evening events

A loose women's dress with gathered sleeves and simple embroidery

A dress with a full, rounded skirt that looks puffy like a princess dress

A dress with a collar and buttons down the front

dinner dress
  • Formal
3.4

A formal long gown worn to evening events like dinners

diving dress
  • Archaic
8.0

A heavy airtight suit that gave divers air while working underwater before modern diving gear

A hanger shaped like shoulders for holding clothes like dresses

5.3

A tall formal hat for men often covered with silk or fur and worn with a formal suit

A rack that shows dresses for sale in a shop

any old dress
  • Informal
1.6

A plain dress with nothing special about it

A dress with ruffled layers that move when you walk

full-dress
  • Formal
6.9

Needing formal clothes for a ceremony or event

full-dress
  • Formal
7.2

Being formal and complete in every part

A dress with a young, playful, slightly childlike style

8.2

Formal men's clothes for daytime that include a tailcoat, waistcoat and striped trousers

morning dress
  • Archaic
7.1

A simple dress a woman wears at home for morning housework

girlie dress
  • Informal
3.5

A dress with soft decorative details like ruffles or ribbons that shows a feminine style

A piece of clothing with thin straps behind the neck and a loose straight shape

Traditional clothing worn by Qaren people with distinctive patterns and styles

Romish dress
  • Archaic
9.9

A style of clothing worn for Roman Catholic ceremonies or by priests

A dress with a full, puffed skirt that sticks out

A neat, classic style of clothing with blazers and ties like private school students wear

schmancy dress
  • Informal
8.9

A fancy stylish outfit that people wear to special events

6.2

A formal dress made of silk for special occasions

A tight dress that shows the shape of the body

A smooth, close-fitting outfit that looks elegant and modern

A dress with a full skirt that spins when you turn

A close-fitting dress that shows and flatters curves

How Treated

to sterilize
  • Specialized
29 4.1
to treat
211 3.2
to dress
34 5.3
to bandage
34 2.7
to clean
1.0

Surface Forms

dress infinitive
dressed past
dressed past participle
dressing present participle
dresses third person singular

Etymology

Dress as a verb for preparing things comes from the Old French dresser 'to make ready' and the Latin direct 'straight'. So to dress a wound or to dress wood means to prepare or finish it so it is ready to use.