packing

[ pak-ing ]

/ ˈpæk ɪŋ /

SEE SYNONYMS FOR packing ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

the act or work of a person or thing that packs.

the preparation and packaging of foodstuffs, especially to be sold at wholesale.

the way in which something is packed.

an act or instance of transporting supplies, goods, etc., on the backs of horses, mules, or persons.

material used to cushion or protect goods packed in a container.

material, often in the form of a grease-impregnated fibrous ring, compressed inside a stuffing box or the like to prevent leakage around the moving shaft of an engine, pump, or valve.

Printing. rubber, paper, or other material fastened to the tympan or cylinder of a press to provide pressure to produce a printed impression.

Origin of packing

1350–1400; Middle English pakking (gerund). See pack¹, -ing¹

OTHER WORDS FROM packing

un·der·pack·ing, noun

Words nearby packing

packet, packet switched system, packet switching, packframe, packhorse, packing, packing box, packing case, packing density, packing fraction, packing plant

Definition for packing (2 of 3)

pack ¹

[ pak ]

/ pæk /

noun

a group of things wrapped or tied together for easy handling or carrying; a bundle, especially one to be carried on the back of an animal or a person: a mule pack; a hiker's pack.

a definite quantity or standard measure of something wrapped up or otherwise assembled for merchandising (sometimes used in combination): a pack of cigarettes; a six-pack of beer.

the quantity of something that is packaged, canned, or the like, at one time, in one season, etc.: last year's salmon pack.

a group of people or things: a pack of fools; a pack of lies.

a group of certain animals of the same kind, especially predatory ones: a pack of wolves.

Hunting. a number of hounds, especially foxhounds and beagles, regularly used together in a hunt.

a complete set of playing cards, usually 52 in number; deck.

backpack.

a considerable area of pieces of floating ice driven or packed together.

Metalworking. a pile of metal sheets for hot-rolling together.

Medicine/Medical.

a wrapping of the body in wet or dry clothes for therapeutic purposes.
the cloths so used.
Obsolete. the state of being so wrapped.

Mining.

Also called pack wall. a rubble wall for supporting a roof.
any of various other roof supports of timber, timber and rubble, or rubble and wire mesh.

a cosmetic material, usually of a pastelike consistency, applied either to the face or to the hair and scalp: a mud pack; a beauty pack; a henna pack.

pac²(def 1).

Obsolete. a plot; conspiracy.

Obsolete. a low or worthless person.

verb (used with object)

to make into a pack or bundle.

to form into a group or compact mass.

to fill with anything compactly arranged: to pack a trunk.

to put into or arrange compactly in a trunk, valise, etc., as for traveling or storage: I packed a two-week supply of clothes for the trip.

to press or crowd together within; cram: The crowd packed the gallery.

to prepare for marketing by putting into containers or packages: to pack fruit for shipping.

to make airtight, vaportight, or watertight by stuffing: to pack the piston of a steam engine.

to cover or envelop with something pressed closely around.

to load, as with packs: We packed the mules and then set off for the lake.

to carry or wear, especially as part of one's usual equipment: to pack a gun.

Informal. to deliver (a powerful blow, strong message, etc.): He packs a better punch than any heavyweight in years. His speech packed a powerful plea for peace.

to treat with a therapeutic pack.

verb (used without object)

to pack goods in compact form, as for transportation or storage (often followed by up).

to place clothes and personal items in a suitcase, trunk, etc., preparatory to traveling.

to be capable of or suitable for compact storage or packing for transportation: articles that pack well.

to crowd together, as persons: The audience packed into the auditorium.

to become compacted: Wet snow packs readily.

to collect into a group: The grouse began to pack.

adjective

transporting, or used in transporting, a pack or load: pack animals.

compressed into a pack; packed.

used in or adapted for packing: pack equipment.

Chiefly Scot. (of animals) tame.

Verb Phrases

pack in/up, to relinquish or give up; quit: One failure was no reason to pack the whole experiment in. After thirty years of touring, the violinist packed his career up and retired.

pack off/away,

to dispatch: We packed the kids off to camp for the summer.
to leave hastily.

Origin of pack

1175–1225; (noun) Middle English pak, packe < Middle Dutch pac or perhaps Middle Low German pak; (v.) Middle English pakken < Middle Dutch or Middle Low German

SYNONYMS FOR pack

1 See package.

4 band, company, crew.

5 See flock¹

SEE SYNONYMS FOR pack ON THESAURUS.COM

Definition for packing (3 of 3)

pack ²

[ pak ]

/ pæk /

verb (used with object)

to choose, collect, arrange, or manipulate (cards, persons, facts, etc.) so as to serve one's own purposes: to pack the deck; to pack a jury.

Origin of pack

First recorded in 1520–30; perhaps variant of pact

Example sentences from the Web for packing

The West is packing up, victorious in battle but defeated in war.

Heart of Darkness: Into Afghanistan’s Taliban Valley |Matt Trevithick, Daniel Seckman |November 15, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
Last weekend a family slipped out at four in the morning, packing their bags and leaving out the side door without a word.

Would You Stay in Lizzie Borden’s Ax-Murder House? |Nina Strochlic |October 30, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
The logistics are a pain in the ass, packing stuff for two days spending time at his place—will it rain, should I take boots?

Is Sleeping Apart Good for Your Relationship? |Tim Teeman |August 20, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
Instead of packing the courts with judges, it had packed the courthouses with defendants.

Andrew Cuomo’s Do-Gooders Done Wrong |Lloyd Green |July 28, 2014 |DAILY BEAST

With the vacation season right around the corner, packing up your trip staples has become part of the routine.

Sunny Smartwatches, Bags, and iGrills: This Summer’s Must-Have Tech |Charlotte Lytton |May 27, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
Not in tins, or boxes, but in envelopes with little or no packing.

Last Words |Juliana Horatia Ewing
Toward the close of the packing season there are jolly times on the plantation.

Cotton, Its Progress from the Field to the Needle |Anonymous
This time, to the surprise of her sister, who had always relieved her of such cares, Eva herself did the packing.

In The Fire Of The Forge, Complete |Georg Ebers
The ice around ship is packing up and forming ridges about two feet high.

South! |Sir Ernest Shackleton
Unpack the battery, keeping the packing case right side up to avoid spilling electrolyte.

The Automobile Storage Battery |O. A. Witte

British Dictionary definitions for packing (1 of 3)

packing

/ (ˈpækɪŋ) /

noun

material used to cushion packed goods
(as modifier)a packing needle

the packaging of foodstuffs

med

the application of a medical pack
gauze or other absorbent material for packing a wound

printing sheets of material, esp paper, used to cover the platen or impression cylinder of a letterpress machine

any substance or material used to make watertight or gastight joints, esp in a stuffing box

engineering pieces of material of various thicknesses used to adjust the position of a component or machine before it is secured in its correct position or alignment

British Dictionary definitions for packing (2 of 3)

pack ¹

/ (pæk) /

noun

a bundle or load, esp one carried on the back
(as modifier)a pack animal

a collected amount of anything

a complete set of similar things, esp a set of 52 playing cards

a group of animals of the same kind, esp hunting animals a pack of hounds

any group or band that associates together, esp for criminal purposes

rugby the forwards of a team or both teams collectively, as in a scrum or in rucking

the basic organizational unit of Cub Scouts and Brownie Guides

a small package, carton, or container, used to retail commodities, esp foodstuffs, cigarettes, etc
(in combination)pack-sealed

US and Canadian a small or medium-sized container of cardboard, paper, etc, often together with its contents Also called (in Britain and certain other countries): packet

short for pack ice

the quantity of something, such as food, packaged for preservation

med

a sheet or blanket, either damp or dry, for wrapping about the body, esp for its soothing effect
a material such as cotton or gauze for temporarily filling a bodily cavity, esp to control bleeding

short for backpack, rucksack

mining a roof support, esp one made of rubble

short for face pack

a parachute folded and ready for use

computing another name for deck (def. 5)

go to the pack Australian and NZ informal to fall into a lower state or condition

verb

to place or arrange (articles) in (a container), such as clothes in a suitcase

(tr) to roll up into a bundle

(when passive, often foll by out) to press tightly together; cram the audience packed into the foyer; the hall was packed out

(tr; foll by in or into) to fit (many things, experiences, etc) into a limited space or time she packed a lot of theatre visits into her holiday

to form (snow, ice, etc) into a hard compact mass or (of snow, ice, etc) to become compacted

(tr) to press in or cover tightly to pack a hole with cement

(tr) to load (a horse, donkey, etc) with a burden

(often foll by off or away) to send away or go away, esp hastily

(tr) to seal (a joint) by inserting a layer of compressible material between the faces

(tr) to fill (a bearing or gland) with grease to lubricate it

(tr) to separate (two adjoining components) so that they have a predetermined gap between them, by introducing shims, washers, plates, etc

(tr) med to treat with a pack

(tr) slang to be capable of inflicting (a blow) he packs a mean punch

(tr) US informal to carry or wear habitually he packs a gun

(intr often foll by down) rugby to form a scrum

(tr; often foll by into, to, etc) US, Canadian and NZ to carry (goods), esp on the back will you pack your camping equipment into the mountains?

pack one's bags informal to get ready to leave

send packing informal to dismiss peremptorily

Derived forms of pack

packable, adjective

Word Origin for pack

C13: related to Middle Low German pak, of obscure origin

British Dictionary definitions for packing (3 of 3)

pack ²

/ (pæk) /

verb

(tr) to fill (a legislative body, committee, etc) with one's own supporters to pack a jury

Word Origin for pack

C16: perhaps changed from pact

Medical definitions for packing (1 of 2)

packing

[ păk′ĭng ]

n.

The insertion of gauze or other material into a body cavity or wound for therapeutic purposes.

The material so used; a pack.

Medical definitions for packing (2 of 2)

pack

[ păk ]

v.

To fill, stuff, plug, or tampon.

To enwrap or envelop the body in a sheet, blanket, or other covering.

To apply a dressing or covering to a surgical site.

n.

The swathing of a patient or body part in hot, cold, wet, or dry materials, such as cloth towels, sheets, or blankets.

The materials so used.

An ice pack; an ice bag.

Idioms and Phrases with packing

pack

In addition to the idioms beginning with pack

pack a punch
packed in like sardines
pack it in
pack off
pack them in

also see:

Joe six-pack
send someone about his or her business (packing)

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

packing

noun

Origin of packing

OTHER WORDS FROM packing

Words nearby packing

Definition for packing (2 of 3)

noun

verb (used with object)

verb (used without object)

adjective

Verb Phrases

Origin of pack

SYNONYMS FOR pack

Definition for packing (3 of 3)

verb (used with object)

Origin of pack

Example sentences from the Web for packing

British Dictionary definitions for packing (1 of 3)

noun

British Dictionary definitions for packing (2 of 3)

noun

verb

Derived forms of pack

Word Origin for pack

British Dictionary definitions for packing (3 of 3)

verb

Word Origin for pack

Medical definitions for packing (1 of 2)

n.

Medical definitions for packing (2 of 2)

v.

n.

Idioms and Phrases with packing

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

packing

noun

Origin of packing

OTHER WORDS FROM packing

Words nearby packing

Definition for packing (2 of 3)

noun

verb (used with object)

verb (used without object)

adjective

Verb Phrases

Origin of pack

SYNONYMS FOR pack

Definition for packing (3 of 3)

verb (used with object)

Origin of pack

Words related to packing

Example sentences from the Web for packing

British Dictionary definitions for packing (1 of 3)

noun

British Dictionary definitions for packing (2 of 3)

noun

verb

Derived forms of pack

Word Origin for pack

British Dictionary definitions for packing (3 of 3)

verb

Word Origin for pack

Medical definitions for packing (1 of 2)

n.

Medical definitions for packing (2 of 2)

v.

n.

Idioms and Phrases with packing