packing
noun
pack·ing ˈpa-kiŋ 
1
a
: the action or process of packing something
also : a method of packing
b
: the processing of food and especially meat for future sale
2
: material (such as a covering or stuffing) used to protect packed goods (as for shipping)
also : material used for making airtight or watertight
packing for a faucet
3
US politics : a form of gerrymandering in which election districts are drawn in such a way that voters likely to support the opposing party are concentrated into a single district to limit the influence of their votes in other districts
… it calculates the impact of the two mechanisms that create gerrymandering. The first of these is "packing," which means one side's votes have been overconcentrated so they win by huge margins in a small number of districts (creating a surplus of votes).
G. Terry Madonna and Michael Young
compare cracking sense 2 G. Terry Madonna and Michael Young
Example Sentences
We finished all our packing yesterday. I used some old newspapers for packing.
Recent Examples on the Web Books propped up computers and monitors, mics wrapped up with packing tape. Rolling Stone, 25 Apr. 2022 For example, a mage doing a big spell cast with a whirling staff could have organic layers like stretching packing tape to get the electricity and spraying fences with pressure washers to get the whoosh. Josh Chesler, SPIN, 23 Mar. 2022 The shoes come in a seemingly familiar looking orange cardboard box with signature bits seemingly covered in packing tape. New York Times, 10 Mar. 2022 The students had five weeks to construct a boat using only untreated brown cardboard and clear packing tape. John Benson, cleveland, 7 Mar. 2022 Please, for the love of Hulu, don't put packing tape or duct tape near your eyes. Marci Robin, Allure, 11 Feb. 2022 Who’s not going to look distrustfully at your packing-tape-inclusive wrapping job? Scott White, WSJ, 8 Feb. 2022 The café and the brewing, bottling, and packing areas were empty. Charles Bethea, The New Yorker, 29 Aug. 2022 Regarding the former, materials allowed include cardboard, duct tape, hot glue and packing tape. John Benson, cleveland, 29 Aug. 2022 See More
Rolling Stone, 25 Apr. 2022 For example, a mage doing a big spell cast with a whirling staff could have organic layers like stretching packing tape to get the electricity and spraying fences with pressure washers to get the whoosh. Josh Chesler, SPIN, 23 Mar. 2022 The shoes come in a seemingly familiar looking orange cardboard box with signature bits seemingly covered in packing tape. New York Times, 10 Mar. 2022 The students had five weeks to construct a boat using only untreated brown cardboard and clear packing tape. John Benson, cleveland, 7 Mar. 2022 Please, for the love of Hulu, don't put packing tape or duct tape near your eyes. Marci Robin, Allure, 11 Feb. 2022 Who’s not going to look distrustfully at your packing-tape-inclusive wrapping job? Scott White, WSJ, 8 Feb. 2022 The café and the brewing, bottling, and packing areas were empty. Charles Bethea, The New Yorker, 29 Aug. 2022 Regarding the former, materials allowed include cardboard, duct tape, hot glue and packing tape. John Benson, cleveland, 29 Aug. 2022 See More Word History
First Known Use
14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a
Phrases Containing packing
Medical Definition
packing
noun
pack·ing ˈpak-iŋ
1
: the therapeutic application of a pack
hemorrhage … could not be controlled by suture or packing Journal of the American Medical Association
Journal of the American Medical Association2
: the material used in packing
packing 1 of 2
noun
as in filling
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- filling
- stuffing
- fill
- filler
- padding
- wadding
- bumper
- cushion
- buffer
- lining
- fender
- pad
- quilting
- interlining
packing
2 of 2verb
1
as in plugging
to close up so that no empty spaces remain carefully pack the food containers so we'll have as much as possible for the picnic Synonyms & Similar Words
- filling
- plugging
- stuffing
- sealing
- blocking
- bunging
- stopping
- repacking
- damming
- jamming
- clogging
- congesting
- occluding
- caulking
- obstructing
- choking
- clotting
- chinking
- calking
- closing (off)
- restuffing
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- excavating
- shoveling
- scooping (out)
- shovelling
- hollowing (out)
2
as in loading
to put into (something) as much as can be held or contained I had packed the suitcase so tightly that it wouldn't close Synonyms & Similar Words
- filling
- loading
- stuffing
- cramming
- jamming
- refilling
- jam-packing
- brimming
- repacking
- heaping
- charging
- flooding
- shoving
- replenishing
- drenching
- glutting
- reloading
- swamping
- squeezing
- bulking
- crowding
- squashing
- matting
- bloating
- penetrating
- crushing
- ramming
- saturating
- refreshing
- overfilling
- overcharging
- overflowing
- pressing
- honeycombing
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- emptying
- clearing
- eliminating
- vacating
- cleaning
- evacuating
- draining
- exhausting
- drawing (off)
- purging
- bleeding
- sweeping
- voiding
- lightening
- depleting
- flushing
- scouring
3
as in hauling
to support and take from one place to another remember to pack several changes of clothing Synonyms & Similar Words
- hauling
- carrying
- transporting
- sending
- bringing
- ferrying
- conveying
- lugging
- carting
- shipping
- toting
- delivering
- moving
- taking
- bearing
- transferring
- forwarding
- transmitting
- removing
- shifting
- fetching
- handing over
4
as in carrying
to wear or have on one's person a private detective packing a weapon Synonyms & Similar Words
- carrying
- bearing
- sporting
- showing
- displaying
- exhibiting
- flaunting
- showing off
- parading