dress goods (dresgudz)

pl. Fabrics used for women's and children's frocks or gowns. dre ing (dres'ing), n. [ 2. That which is used in dre ing or preparing anything, as for use or ornament. Specifically -(a) In med. and surg., the remedy or apparatus applied to a wound or sore, etc. (b) The manure or compost spread over land in preparing it for cropping. (c) In cookery: (1) The sauce, etc., used in preparing a dish for the table. (2) Stuffing; the flavored material, as bread-crumb, inserted in a fowl, in veal, etc., for roasting. [Colloq.] (d) The glaze, stiffening, or finishing applied to textile fabrics to give them greater smoothne and firmne , to allow of their being folded, packed, etc., with greater ease, and sometimes with the dishonest intention of giving them ar tificial weight or the appearance of greater excellence of manufacture. (e) In arch., the moldings around doors, windows, and other openings on an elevation. 3. A thrashing; a flogging or beating; a reprimand or scolding. [Colloq.] If ever I meet him again, I will give him such a dre . ing as he has not had this many a day. Jane Austen , Sense and Sensibility, xxx. dre ing-bench (dres'ing-bench), n . In brick making, a bench with a cast-iron plate upon which the bricks, after drying in the sun, are rubbed, polished, and beaten to make them symmetrical.