packing

Verb

pack (third-person singular simple present packs, present participle packing, simple past and past participle packed)

1. (physical, transitive) To make a pack of; to arrange closely and securely in a pack; hence, to place and arrange compactly as in a pack
   • to pack goods in a box; to pack fish
2. (physical, transitive) To fill in the manner of a pack, that is, compactly and securely, as for transportation; hence, to fill closely or to repletion; to stow away within; to cause to be full; to crowd into.
   • to pack a trunk; the play, or the audience, packs the theater
3. (physical, transitive) To wrap in a wet or dry sheet, within numerous coverings.
   • The doctor gave Kelly some sulfa pills and packed his arm in hot-water bags.
4. (physical, transitive) To make impervious, such as by filling or surrounding with suitable material, or to fit or adjust so as to move without allowing air, water, or steam inside.
   • to pack a joint; to pack the piston of a steam engine; pack someone's arm with ice.
5. (intransitive, physical) To make up packs, bales, or bundles; to stow articles securely for transportation.
6. (intransitive, physical) To form a compact mass, especially in order for transportation.
   • the goods pack conveniently; wet snow packs well

See all 43 meanings of pack

Noun

meatpacking (uncountable)

1. (US) The slaughter and further processing of animals for meat.
   • The administration’s focus on meatpacking is reflective of a larger shift in thinking about the costs of monopoly power.2022 January 15, Binyamin Appelbaum, “Building a Better Meatpacking Industry”, in The New York Times, archived from the original on 15 Jan 2022

   Synonyms:

   packing