dress

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Dressed r Drest; p. pr. & vb. n. Dressing. ] [ OF. drecier to make straight, raise, set up, prepare, arrange, F. dresser, (assumed) LL. directiare, fr. L. dirigere, directum, to direct; dis- + regere to rule. See Right, and cf. Address, Adroit, Direct, Dirge. ] 1. To direct; to put right or straight; to regulate; to order. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

At all times thou shalt bless God and pray Him to dress thy ways. Chaucer. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ Dress is used reflexively in Old English, in sense of “to direct one's step; to address one's self.” [ 1913 Webster ]

To Grisild again will I me dresse. Chaucer. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Mil.) To arrange in exact continuity of line, as soldiers; commonly to adjust to a straight line and at proper distance; to align; as, to dress the ranks. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. (Med.) To treat methodically with remedies, bandages, or curative appliances, as a sore, an ulcer, a wound, or a wounded or diseased part. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. To adjust; to put in good order; to arrange; specifically: (a) To prepare for use; to fit for any use; to render suitable for an intended purpose; to get ready; as, to dress a slain animal; to dress meat; to dress leather or cloth; to dress or trim a lamp; to dress a garden; to dress a horse, by currying and rubbing; to dress grain, by cleansing it; in mining and metallurgy, to dress ores, by sorting and separating them. [ 1913 Webster ]

And the Lord God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it. Gen. ii. 15. [ 1913 Webster ]

When he dresseth the lamps he shall burn incense. Ex. xxx. 7. [ 1913 Webster ]

Three hundred horses . . . smoothly dressed. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

Dressing their hair with the white sea flower. Tennyson. [ 1913 Webster ]

If he felt obliged to expostulate, he might have dressed his censures in a kinder form. Carlyle.

(b) To cut to proper dimensions, or give proper shape to, as to a tool by hammering; also, to smooth or finish.

(c) To put in proper condition by appareling, as the body; to put clothes upon; to apparel; to invest with garments or rich decorations; to clothe; to deck. [ 1913 Webster ]

Dressed myself in such humility. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

Prove that ever Idress myself handsome till thy return. Shak.

(d) To break and train for use, as a horse or other animal. [ 1913 Webster ]

To dress up or
To dress out, to dress elaborately, artificially, or pompously. “You see very often a king of England or France dressed up like a Julius Cæsar.” Addison. --
To dress a ship (Naut.), to ornament her by hoisting the national colors at the peak and mastheads, and setting the jack forward; when dressed full, the signal flags and pennants are added. Ham. Nav. Encyc.

Syn. -- To attire; apparel; clothe; accouter; array; robe; rig; trim; deck; adorn; embellish. [ 1913 Webster ]