dressmakingn.
/ˈdrɛsˌmeɪkɪŋ/, U.S. /ˈdrɛsˌmeɪkɪŋ/ The art, practice, or occupation of making dresses.Recorded earliest in dressmaking line at Compounds.
ΘΚΠ
the world > textiles and clothing > clothing > tailoring or making clothes > dressmaking > [noun]
mantua-makinga1704
dressmaking1796
manty-making1839
dressmakership1849
dressmakery1867
1796 Times 18 Feb. Wanted, in a very respectable House,..a First Hand in the Dress-making line.
1797 Times 19 Oct. Millinery and Dress-making—Two young Women..propose the setting up of their own firm.
1837 N. Whittock et al. Compl. Bk. Trades 308 Dress-making came from France, i.e. Paris.
1852 H. B. Stowe Uncle Tom's Cabin I. xvii. 268 I can do dress-making very well.
1934 Jrnl. Negro Educ. 3 32/1 In home economics the girls are taught plain cooking and dressmaking.
1967 Guardian 23 May 6/5 The plackets and French seams of school dressmaking.
2011 Y. McCallumPeters Greener Pastures 15 My mom was still plying her trade of dressmaking. But how far could three shillings..go to help buy food for eight?
Compounds
General attributive, as dress-making class, dressmaking line, dressmaking scissors, dressmaking team, etc.
ΚΠ
1796 Times 18 Feb. Wanted, in a very respectable House,..a First Hand in the Dress-making line.
1874 Belgravia Feb. 497 The poor old gown!..Not so much..the product of looms and the result of dressmaking scissors, as the witness of things unseen.
1882 B. Harte Flip iv, in Flip & Found at Blazing Star 62 I must see that dressmaking sharp about it.
1916 Proc. 9th Ann. Meeting Nat. Soc. Promotion Ind. Educ. Minneapolis July 223 Many dressmaking girls who were temporarily out of work, were very glad to come back for further training.
1971 J. Rogers Adults Learning ii. 31 Those women who have been going to the same dress-making class, with the same tutor for many years.
2016 Sc. Mail on Sunday 18 Sept. 25 The series has 1,550 costumes, many of which were made by the dressmaking teams.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, March 2018; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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n.1796