dress: [14] Dress originally meant literally ‘put right, put straight’. It comes via Old French dresser from Vulgar Latin *dīrectiāre, a derivative of Latin dīrectus ‘straight’ (from which English gets direct). Traces of this underlying sense survive in the word’s application to the correct aligning of columns of troops, but its main modern signification, ‘clothe’, comes via a more generalized line of semantic development ‘prepare’ (as in ‘dress a turkey for the oven’), and hence ‘array, equip’. (English address developed in parallel with dress, and comes from the same ultimate source.) Dresser ‘sideboard’ [15] was borrowed from Old French dresseur, a derivative of dresser in the sense ‘prepare’. => address, direct
dress (v.)
early 14c., "make straight; direct, guide, control, prepare for cooking," from Old French dresser, drecier "raise (oneself), address, prepare, lift, raise, hoist, set up, arrange, set (a table), serve (food), straighten, put right, direct," from Vulgar Latin *directiare, from Latin directus "direct, straight" (see direct (v.)).
Sense of "decorate, adorn" is late 14c., as is that of "put on clothing." Original sense survives in military meaning "align columns of troops." Dress up "attire elaborately" is from 1670s; dressing down "wearing clothes less formal than expected" is from 1960. To dress (someone) down (1769) is ironical. Related: Dressed; dressing.
dress (n.)
c. 1600, originally any clothing, especially that appropriate to rank or to some ceremony; sense of "woman's garment" is first recorded 1630s, with overtones of "made not merely to clothe but to adorn." Dress rehearsal first recorded 1828.
双语例句
1. Does this dress make my legs look too stumpy?
这条裙子会使我的腿看上去又短又粗吗？
来自柯林斯例句
2. Maria wore a layered white dress that rustled when she moved.
玛丽亚穿一袭白色节裙，一动裙子就窸窣作响。
来自柯林斯例句
3. Each dress is hemmed and scrupulously checked for imperfections.
每条连衣裙都缝上了褶边，并经过严格的检查，不允许有任何瑕疵。
来自柯林斯例句
4. "That's a nice dress," said Michael. "Thanks," she replied solemnly.
“那件衣服很好看，”迈克尔说。“谢谢，”她严肃地回答。
来自柯林斯例句
5. A figure in a blue dress appeared in the doorway.
