dress down
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Related to dress down: eat one's heart out
dress
(drĕs)v. dressed, dress·ing, dress·es
v.tr.
1.
a. To put clothes on; clothe.
b. To furnish with clothing.
2. To decorate or adorn: dress a Christmas tree.
3. To garnish: dressed the side dish with parsley.
4. To arrange a display in: dress a store window.
5. To arrange (troops) in ranks; align.
6. To apply medication, bandages, or other therapeutic materials to (a wound).
7. To arrange and groom (the hair), as by styling, combing, or washing.
8. To groom (an animal); curry.
9.
a. To fertilize (land or plants).
b. Archaic To cultivate (land or plants).
10. To clean (fish or fowl) for cooking or sale.
11.
a. To put a finish on (stone or wood, for example).
b. To tan or prepare (a hide) in leather-making.
v.intr.
1. To put on clothes.
2. To wear clothes of a certain kind or style: dresses casually.
3. To wear formal clothes: dress for dinner.
4. To get into proper alignment with others: The troops dressed on the squad leader.
n.
1. Clothing; apparel.
2. A style of clothing: folk dancers in peasant dress.
3. A one-piece outer garment consisting of a skirt and bodice.
4. Outer covering or appearance; guise: an ancient ritual in modern dress.
adj.
Phrasal Verbs: 1. Suitable for formal occasions: dress shoes.
2. Requiring formal clothes: a dress dinner.
dress down
1. To scold; reprimand: I was dressed down by the teacher for lateness.
2. To wear informal clothes, befitting an occasion or location: Many employees dress down on Fridays.
dress up
Idiom: 1. To wear a costume or style of clothing, especially formal attire: They dressed up for the prom. The children dress up on Halloween.
2. To improve the outward appearance of: The new curtains dressed up the room. She dressed up the speech with famous quotations.
dress ship Nautical
To display the ensign, signal flags, and bunting on a ship.
[Middle English dressen, to arrange, put on clothing, from Old French drecier, to arrange, from Vulgar Latin *dīrēctiāre, from Latin dīrēctus, past participle of dīrigere, to direct; see direct.]
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
dress down
vb (adverb)
1. (tr) informal to reprimand severely or scold (a person)
2. (Clothing & Fashion) (intr) to dress in a casual or informal manner, esp at work
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
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Verb | 1. | ![]() call on the carpet, chew out, chew up, chide, have words, bawl out, berate, rebuke, reproof, scold, take to task, call down, lambast, lambaste, lecture, reprimand, remonstrate, trounce, jaw, rag castigate, chasten, chastise, objurgate, correct - censure severely; "She chastised him for his insensitive remarks" brush down, tell off - reprimand; "She told the misbehaving student off" criticise, criticize, pick apart, knock - find fault with; express criticism of; point out real or perceived flaws; "The paper criticized the new movie"; "Don't knock the food--it's free" |
2. | dress down - dress informally and casually; "On Fridays, employees can underdress" dress, get dressed - put on clothes; "we had to dress quickly"; "dress the patient"; "Can the child dress by herself?" attire, deck out, deck up, dress up, fancy up, fig out, fig up, rig out, tog out, tog up, trick out, trick up, gussy up, overdress, prink, get up - put on special clothes to appear particularly appealing and attractive; "She never dresses up, even when she goes to the opera"; "The young girls were all fancied up for the party" |
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
dress
verb2. To furnish with decorations.Also used with up:
dress down
phrasal verb
dress up
noun
1. Articles worn to cover the body:
apparel, attire, clothes, clothing, garment (used in plural), habiliment (often used in plural), raiment.
Slang: thread (used in plural).
2. A set or style of clothing:
The American Heritage® Roget's Thesaurus. Copyright © 2013, 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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