Source : Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)

Dress \Dress\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Dressed}or {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.]

            At all times thou shalt bless God and pray Him to
            dress thy ways.                       --Chaucer.

   Note: Dress is used reflexively in Old English, in sense of
         ``to direct one's step; to address one's self.''

               To Grisild again will I me dresse. --Chaucer.

   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.

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

   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.

Dress \Dress\, n.
   1. That which is used as the covering or ornament of the
      body; clothes; garments; habit; apparel. ``In your
      soldier's dress.'' --Shak.

   2. A lady's gown; as, silk or a velvet dress.

   3. Attention to apparel, or skill in adjusting it.

            Men of pleasure, dress, and gallantry. -- Pope.

   4. (Milling) The system of furrows on the face of a
      millstone. --Knight.

   {Dress circle}. See under {Circle}.

   {Dress parade} (Mil.), a parade in full uniform for review.

Dress \Dress\, v. i.
   1. (Mil.) To arrange one's self in due position in a line of
      soldiers; -- the word of command to form alignment in
      ranks; as, Right, dress!

   2. To clothe or apparel one's self; to put on one's garments;
      to pay particular regard to dress; as, to dress quickly.
      ``To dress for a ball.'' --Latham.

            To flaunt, to dress, to dance, to thrum. --Tennyson
      .

   {To dress to the right}, {To dress to the left}, {To dress on
   the center} (Mil.), to form alignment with reference to the
      soldier on the extreme right, or in the center, of the
      rank, who serves as a guide.

Source : WordNet®

dress
     adj 1: suitable for formal occasions; "formal wear"; "a full-dress
            uniform"; "dress shoes" [syn: {full-dress}]
     2: (of an occasion) requiring formal clothes; "a dress dinner";
        "a full-dress ceremony" [syn: {full-dress}]

dress
     n 1: a one-piece garment for a woman; has skirt and bodice [syn:
          {frock}]
     2: clothing of a distinctive style or for a particular
        occasion; "formal attire"; "battle dress" [syn: {attire},
        {garb}]
     3: clothing in general; "she was refined in her choice of
        apparel"; "he always bought his clothes at the same
        store"; "fastidious about his dress" [syn: {apparel}, {wearing
        apparel}, {clothes}]

dress
     v 1: put on clothes; "we had to dress quickly"; "dress the
          patient"; "Can the child dress by herself?" [syn: {get
          dressed}] [ant: {undress}]
     2: provide with clothes or put clothes on; "Parents must feed
        and dress their child" [syn: {clothe}, {enclothe}, {garb},
         {raiment}, {tog}, {garment}, {habilitate}, {fit out}, {apparel}]
        [ant: {undress}]
     3: put a finish on; "dress the surface smooth"
     4: dress in a certain manner; "She dresses in the latest Paris
        fashion"; "he dressed up in a suit and tie" [syn: {dress
        up}]
     5: dress or groom with elaborate care; "She likes to dress when
        going to the opera" [syn: {preen}, {primp}, {plume}]
     6: kill and prepare for market or consumption; "dress a turkey"
        [syn: {dress out}]
     7: arrange in ranks; "dress troops" [syn: {line up}]
     8: decorate (food), as with parsley or other ornamental foods
        [syn: {trim}, {garnish}]
     9: provide with decoration; "dress the windows" [syn: {decorate}]
     10: put a dressing on; "dress the salads"
     11: cultivate, tend, and cut back the growth of; "dress the
         plants in the garden" [syn: {snip}, {clip}, {crop}, {trim},
          {lop}, {prune}, {cut back}]
     12: cut down rough-hewn (lumber) to standard thickness and width
     13: convert into leather; "dress the tanned skins"
     14: apply a bandage or medication to; "dress the victim's
         wounds"
     15: give a neat appearance to; "groom the dogs"; "dress the
         horses" [syn: {groom}, {curry}]
     16: arrange attractively; "dress my hair for the wedding" [syn:
         {arrange}, {set}, {do}, {coif}, {coiffe}, {coiffure}]