dress out

verb

To change one's clothes to prepare for outdoors activities, such as physical education; to be wearing clothes appropriate for such activities.

Meanings

verbdress out (third-person singular simple present dresses out, present participle dressing out, simple past and past participle dressed out)

present singular third person dresses out · participle present dressing out · participle past dressed out · past dressed out

  1. intransitiveTo change one's clothes to prepare for outdoors activities, such as physical education; to be wearing clothes appropriate for such activities.

    I would rather have the mumps than dress out for gym. I

    2014, Angela Medearis, Skin Deep and Other Teenage Reflections
  2. transitivemedicineTo dress and equip (staff or patients) in preparation for leaving the hospital.

    Proper Dress-out. 1. Radiological emergency response team members dressed-out in waterproof gowns and other standard surgical attire. 2. Cuffs and inner gloves are taped for contamination control purposes.

    1984, Robert C. Ricks, Hospital Emergency Department Management of Radiation Accidents
    1 more example

    On the day of the patient's discharge, the patient will be called to 1 of the 2 dress-out rooms. The patient will be dressed out and then will be escorted to the agent cashier's office where he will pick up the money he had had on account, the valuables he has had in safekeeping, and last, but not least, his ticket and transportation to his home.

    1956, United States. Congress. House. Committee on Ways and Means, Traffic In, and Control Of, Narcotics, Barbiturates, and Amphetamines
  3. ergativesometimestransitiveTo butcher and prepare (an animal) for consumption.

    The biggest buck I've killed there dressed out at 188 pounds.

    1985, Byron W. Dalrymple, Field & Stream - Vol. 90, No. 3

Synonyms & antonyms

verbkill and prepare for market or consumption

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Cite this entry
APA

dress out. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/dress%20out

MLA

“dress out.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/dress%20out. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “dress out,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/dress%20out.

Source: dress out on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.