[countable]a piece of women’s clothing that is made in one piece and covers the body down to the legs, sometimes reaching to below the knees, or to the ankles
a long white dress
to wear/put on/take off a dress
in a dressa young woman in a pink silk dress
see alsocoat dress,cocktail dress,evening dress,little black dress,sundress,wedding dress,wrap dress
Extra Examples
She appeared in a slinky satin dress.
She hitched up her long dress so it wouldn't drag in the mud.
She looked elegant in a simple black dress.
She sat down and smoothed her dress over her legs.
The hat went with her new dress wonderfully.
Topics Clothes and Fashiona1
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective
beautiful
elegant
gorgeous
…
verb + dress
unzip
zip
zip up
…
dress + noun
shop
designer
size
…
preposition
in a/the dress
See full entry
[uncountable]clothes for either men or women
to wear casual/formal dress
in… dressmen and women in traditional Tibetan dress
a performance of ‘Hamlet’ in modern dress
He has no dress sense(= no idea of how to dress well).
see alsoevening dress,fancy dress,headdress,Highland dress,morning dress
Synonyms clothesclothes
clothing
garment
dress
wear
gear
These are all words for the things that you wear, such as shirts, jackets, dresses and trousers.
clothes[pl.] the things that you wear, such as shirts, jackets, dresses and trousers.
clothing[U] (rather 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:
We were allowed to wear casual dress on Fridays.
wear[U] (usually in compounds) clothes for a particular purpose or occasion, especially when they are being sold in shops:
the children’s wear department
gear[U] (informal) clothes:
Her friends were all wearing the latest designer gear.
to have on/be in/wear …clothes/garments/dress/gear
Culture formal and informal dressformal and informal dressIn general, people in Britain and the US dress in a fairly informal way. Many wear casual clothes most of the time, not just when they are at home or on holiday. Men and women wear jeans or other casual trousers with a shirt or T-shirt and a sweater to go shopping, meet friends, go to a pub or bar, or take their children out. Older people are more likely to dress more smartly, with women wearing a dress or skirt and blouse, and men a shirt, jacket and trousers, when they go out. In summer people may wear shorts(= short trousers), but these are not usually considered appropriate for work in an office.Many people dress up(= put on smart clothes) to go to a formal party or an expensive restaurant. Young people are most interested in following fashion and regularly buy new clothes.Men wear suits, and women wear suits or dresses, for formal occasions like funerals or interviews for jobs. Some wear suits or smart clothes every day because their employer expects it or because they think it makes them look more professional. Most people prefer more casual, comfortable clothes for work but some companies do not like people wearing jeans. Employees in banks and shops often have uniforms.For very formal occasions during the day, such as a wedding, men may wear morning dress. This includes a jacket with long ‘tails’ at the back, dark grey trousers and a grey top hat. Women wear a smart dress and perhaps a hat. For very formal events in the evening, men may wear evening dress, also called white tie, which consists of a black tailcoat, black trousers, a white waistcoat, white shirt and white bow tie. Women usually wear a long evening dress or ballgown. Usually for formal evening events men wear black tie or a tuxedo, consisting of a black dinner jacket, black trousers and a black bow tie.
Extra Examples
We were allowed to wear casual dress on Fridays.
He was wearing traditional Scottish dress.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective
ceremonial
formal
casual
…
dress + noun
code
sense
coat
…
preposition
in… dress
See full entry
Word OriginMiddle English (in the sense ‘put straight’): from Old French dresser ‘arrange, prepare’, based on Latin directus ‘direct, straight’.
dress
verb
/dres/
/dres/
Verb Forms
present simple I / you / we / they dress
/dres/
/dres/
he / she / it dresses
/ˈdresɪz/
/ˈdresɪz/
past simple dressed
/drest/
/drest/
past participle dressed
/drest/
/drest/
-ing form dressing
/ˈdresɪŋ/
/ˈdresɪŋ/
IdiomsPhrasal Verbs
jump to other results
clothes
[intransitive, transitive]to put clothes on yourself/somebody
I dressed quickly.
Get up and get dressed!
dress in somethingHe had dressed in a black T-shirt and jeans.
dress somebody/yourself in somethingShe dressed the children in their best clothes.
dress yourselfYou're old enough to dress yourself now.
dress somebody/somethingThe children spend hours dressing and undressing their dolls.
Her mother always dressed them identically.
oppositeundress
Collocations Clothes and fashionClothes and fashionClothes
be wearing a new outfit/bright colours/fancy dress/fur/uniform
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
put on/take off your clothes/coat/shoes/helmet
pull on/pull off your coat/gloves/socks
change into/get changed into a pair of jeans/your pyjamas
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/cosmetic surgery
use/wear/apply/put on make-up/cosmetics
Fashion
follow/keep up with (the) 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/vogue for something
organize/put on a fashion show
show/unveil a designer’s spring/summer collection
sashay/strut down the catwalk/(North American English also) runway
be on/do a photo/fashion shoot
Extra Examples
Susan always dresses very elegantly.
I have to dress smartly for work.
You should dress warmly, as it's quite cold out.
She began to act and dress differently.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb
beautifully
elegantly
fashionably
…
preposition
as
for
in
…
phrases
dress to the nines
dress up to the nines
See full entry
[intransitive]to put on formal clothes
Do they expect us to dress for dinner?
[transitive]dress somebodyto provide clothes for somebody famous
He dresses many of Hollywood's most famous young stars.
She dresses celebrities for awards ceremonies.
wound
[transitive]dress somethingto clean, treat and cover a wound
The nurse will dress that cut for you.
Topics Medicinec1
food
[transitive]dress somethingto 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)
decorate/arrange
[transitive]dress something(formal)to decorate or arrange something
to dress a shop window (= arrange a display of clothes or goods in it)
She had her hair dressed by a stylist.
stone/wood/leather
[transitive]dress somethingto prepare a material such as stone, wood, leather, etc. for use
Word OriginMiddle English (in the sense ‘put straight’): from Old French dresser ‘arrange, prepare’, based on Latin directus ‘direct, straight’.
Idioms
look/dress the part
to have an appearance or wear clothes suitable for a particular job, role or position
He acts and dresses the part of a gentleman.
He was a pirate in the school play and certainly looked the part.
mutton dressed as lamb
(British English, informal, disapproving)used to describe a woman who is trying to look younger than she really is, especially by wearing clothes that are designed for young people
enlarge image[countable] a piece of women’s clothing that is made in one piece and covers the body down to the legs, sometimes reaching to below the knees, or to the ankles