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Definition of dress verb from the Oxford Advanced American Dictionary

     

    dress

     verb
    verb
    NAmE//drɛs//
     
    Verb Forms present simple I / you / we / they dress
     
    he / she / it dresses
     
    past simple dressed
     
    -ing form dressing
     
     
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    clothes
  1. 1[intransitive, transitive] to put clothes on yourself/someone dress (in something) I dressed quickly. dress somebody (in something) She dressed the children in their best clothes. Get up and get dressed! The children spend hours dressing and undressing their dolls. Topic CollocationsClothes and Fashionclothes
    • be wearing a new outfit/bright colors/fur/a uniform/a costume
    • be (dressed) in black/red/jeans and a T-shirt/your best suit/leather/silk/rags (= very old torn clothes)
    • be dressed for work/school/dinner/a special occasion
    • be dressed as a man/woman/clown/pirate
    • wear/dress in casual/designer/second-hand clothes
    • wear jewelry/accessories/a watch/glasses/contact lenses/perfume
    • have a cowboy hat/red dress/blue suit on
    • put on/take off your clothes/coat/shoes/gloves/socks/helmet
    • change into/get changed into a pair of jeans/your pajamas
    appearance
    • change/enhance/improve your appearance
    • create/get/have/give something a new/contemporary/retro look
    • brush/comb/shampoo/wash/blow-dry your hair
    • have/get a haircut/your hair cut/a new hairstyle
    • have/get a piercing/your nose pierced
    • have/get a tattoo/a tattoo done (on your arm)/a tattoo removed
    • have/get a makeover/plastic surgery/cosmetic surgery/Botox™ treatment
    • use/wear/apply/put on makeup/cosmetics
    fashion
    • follow/keep up with fashion/the latest fashions
    • spend/waste money on designer clothes
    • be fashionably/stylishly/well dressed
    • have good/great/terrible/awful taste in clothes
    • update/revamp your wardrobe
    • be in/come into/go out of fashion
    • be (back/very much) in vogue
    • create a style/trend for something
    • organize/put on a fashion show
    • show/unveil a designer's spring/summer collection
    • sashay/strut down the catwalk/runway
    • be on/do a photo/fashion shoot
    opposite undress
  2. 2[intransitive, transitive] to wear a particular type or style of clothes to dress well/badly/fashionably/comfortably dress for/in/as something You should dress for cold weather today. dress somebody (for/in/as something) She always dressed entirely in black. He was dressed as a woman (= he was wearing women's clothes). Topic CollocationsClothes and Fashionclothes
    • be wearing a new outfit/bright colors/fur/a uniform/a costume
    • be (dressed) in black/red/jeans and a T-shirt/your best suit/leather/silk/rags (= very old torn clothes)
    • be dressed for work/school/dinner/a special occasion
    • be dressed as a man/woman/clown/pirate
    • wear/dress in casual/designer/second-hand clothes
    • wear jewelry/accessories/a watch/glasses/contact lenses/perfume
    • have a cowboy hat/red dress/blue suit on
    • put on/take off your clothes/coat/shoes/gloves/socks/helmet
    • change into/get changed into a pair of jeans/your pajamas
    appearance
    • change/enhance/improve your appearance
    • create/get/have/give something a new/contemporary/retro look
    • brush/comb/shampoo/wash/blow-dry your hair
    • have/get a haircut/your hair cut/a new hairstyle
    • have/get a piercing/your nose pierced
    • have/get a tattoo/a tattoo done (on your arm)/a tattoo removed
    • have/get a makeover/plastic surgery/cosmetic surgery/Botox™ treatment
    • use/wear/apply/put on makeup/cosmetics
    fashion
    • follow/keep up with fashion/the latest fashions
    • spend/waste money on designer clothes
    • be fashionably/stylishly/well dressed
    • have good/great/terrible/awful taste in clothes
    • update/revamp your wardrobe
    • be in/come into/go out of fashion
    • be (back/very much) in vogue
    • create a style/trend for something
    • organize/put on a fashion show
    • show/unveil a designer's spring/summer collection
    • sashay/strut down the catwalk/runway
    • be on/do a photo/fashion shoot
    Thesaurusclothes
    • clothing
    • garment
    • dress
    • wear
    • gear
    These are all words for the things that you wear, such as shirts, jackets, dresses, and pants.
    • clothes [pl.] the things that you wear, such as shirts, jackets, dresses, and pants:Please pick your clothes up off the floor.
    • clothing [U] (somewhat formal) clothes, especially a particular type of clothes:warm clothing
    clothes or clothing?
    • Clothing is more formal than clothes and is used especially to mean “a particular type of clothes.” There is no singular form of clothes or clothing:a piece/an item/an article of clothing is used to talk about one thing that you wear, such as a dress or shirt.
    • garment (formal) a piece of clothing:He was wearing a strange shapeless garment. Garment should only be used in formal or literary contexts; in everyday contexts use a piece of clothing.
    • dress [U] clothes, especially when worn in a particular style or for a particular occasion:Casual dress is allowed on Fridays.
    • wear [U] (usually in compounds) clothes for a particular purpose or occasion, especially when it is being sold in stores:the children's wear department
    • gear [U] clothes for a particular purpose:the most advanced cold-weather gear (= warm boots, coats, gloves, etc.)
    Patterns
    • casual clothes/clothing/dress/wear
    • evening/formal clothes/dress/wear
    • designer/sports clothes/clothing/garments/wear/gear
    • children's/men's/ladies' clothes/clothing/garments/wear
    • to have on/be in/wear …clothes/garments/gear
  3. 3[intransitive] to put on formal clothes Do they expect us to dress for dinner?
  4. 4[transitive] dress somebody to provide clothes for someone He dresses many of Hollywood's most famous young stars.
  5. wound
  6. 5[transitive] dress something to clean, treat, and cover a wound The nurse will dress that cut for you.
  7. food
  8. 6[transitive] dress something to prepare food for cooking or eating to dress a salad (= put oil or vinegar, etc. on it) to dress a chicken (= take out the parts you cannot eat)
  9. decorate
  10. 7[transitive] dress something (formal) to decorate or arrange something to dress a store window (= arrange a display of clothes or goods in it)
  11. stone/wood/leather
  12. 8[transitive] dress something to prepare a material such as stone, wood, leather, etc. for use
  13. Idioms
    look/dress the part
     
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    to have an appearance or wear clothes suitable for a particular job, role, or position
    Phrasal Verbsdress downdress up
See dress in the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary