dress uniform
8
4.1
- noun
- /drɛs ˈjunɪfɔrm/
- Specialized
:
uniforme de gala
- As always, he wore his dress uniform, a gleaming scarlet jacket with a snow-white sash and his insignia of office.
- full dress uniform
- officer in dress uniform
- Navy dress uniform
Officers distinguished between dress swords for use with their dress uniforms and service or undressed swords that they carried to war.
- Officers distinguished between dress swords for use with their dress uniforms and service or undressed swords that they carried to war.
- Swagger sticks were actually part of the British off duty dress uniform, although we're more likely to be seen with the higher British officers.
Examples
-
The other was a magnificent marine sergeant, six foot three or four, in full-dress uniform.
Fiction book (1995) -
Sergeant Troy pushes his way out of the door, immaculate in his red dress uniform.
Fiction book (1998) -
All right, so this actually, this is the dress uniform and it is very, very clean.
-
Man, you should have seen that boy in dress uniform.
Fiction book (1994) -
And you brought your dress uniform with you.
Fiction book (1992) -
An appearance in dress uniform for court today.
Fiction book (1992) -
The Marines stand at attention in their dress uniforms as General Newhouse addresses them.
Fiction book (1999) -
MPs escorted him back to our tent, where they waited for him to put on his dress uniform.
-
Bracey is in a U.S. Army dress uniform with one PFC stripe.
Fiction book (1998) -
The Marines stand at attention in their dress uniform as General Newhouse addresses them.
Synonyms
8
2.9
Clothes that soldiers and other people in the armed forces wear to show who they are and for official duties
5
6.1
A formal military uniform worn for ceremonies and official events
1
6.0
Formal white uniforms people in the military wear for ceremonies
1
6.0
A very formal uniform that military or navy officers wear at official ceremonies
How Formal
- Formal
1
6.0
- Specialized
8
4.1
8
2.9
11
1.6
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning is directly compositional: 'dress' (clothing for a style or occasion) modifies 'uniform' (clothes worn by organization members) to indicate a formal or ceremonial type of uniform. This modifier+noun pattern is common and cross-linguistically transparent, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents can infer the MWE's meaning.
Etymology
Dress uniform comes from the idea of 'dressing up' for a special event: dress means to wear smart clothes and uniform is the standard outfit for soldiers. So a dress uniform is the formal version of a soldier's clothes worn for ceremonies and official events.