packing

American  

[pak-ing] / ˈpæk ɪŋ /

noun

1. the act or work of a person or thing that packs.

2. the preparation and packaging of foodstuffs, especially to be sold at wholesale.

3. the way in which something is packed.

4. an act or instance of transporting supplies, goods, etc., on the backs of horses, mules, or persons.

5. material used to cushion or protect goods packed in a container.

6. material, often in the form of a grease-impregnated fibrous ring, compressed inside a stuffing box or the like to prevent leakage around the moving shaft of an engine, pump, or valve.

7. Printing. rubber, paper, or other material fastened to the tympan or cylinder of a press to provide pressure to produce a printed impression.

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packing British  

/ ˈpækɪŋ /

noun

1. 1. material used to cushion packed goods

   2. ( as modifier )

      a packing needle

2. the packaging of foodstuffs

3. med

   1. the application of a medical pack

   2. gauze or other absorbent material for packing a wound

4. printing sheets of material, esp paper, used to cover the platen or impression cylinder of a letterpress machine

5. any substance or material used to make watertight or gastight joints, esp in a stuffing box

6. engineering pieces of material of various thicknesses used to adjust the position of a component or machine before it is secured in its correct position or alignment

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Usage

What is packing? Packing is the act of grouping items into a container, especially for storing or moving the items. Packing can also describe the container or wrapping itself used to pack items. Example: The packing on this Christmas gift is too hard to get off!

Other Word Forms

• underpacking noun

Etymology

Origin of packing

1350–1400; Middle English pakking (gerund). See pack ¹, -ing ¹

Example Sentences

That makes intuitive sense, given that investors may be sad to see a successful CEO hand over the reins, and are more than happy to see a dud sent packing.

From Barron's • Apr. 10, 2026

This is peptide packing at its hallucinogenic limit, no yurt necessary!

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 1, 2026

Jim Foster, the owner of Global-Pak, an Ohio-based industrial packing distributor that sells bulk bags for shipping and storing dry powder products, spent about $7 million paying the now-voided tariffs.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 31, 2026

Reyne had sprained his ankle packing, plus his shoe got stolen, he said, so the sidewalk was as far as he had gotten.

From Slate • Mar. 25, 2026

I rose from where I had been kneeling beside a crate and brushed bits of packing straw off my apron.

From "The Red Car to Hollywood" by Jennie Liu

Related Words

• Styrofoam