packing

[ pak-ing ]

noun

1. the act or work of a person or thing that packs. pack.
2. the preparation and packaging package of foodstuffs, especially to be sold at wholesale.
3. the way in which something is packed. pack. 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 pack 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.

packing

/ 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

Other Words From

• under·packing noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of packing¹

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

Example Sentences

In your home, you can use crumpled paper or packing material.

From Popular-Science

Recyclable packing is something we want a brand to have whenever possible.

From Fortune

The phrase “court packing” is a pejorative—stacking the deck, changing the rules.

From Time

They have a square base, which is important for optimal packing.

From Outside Online

Fishman says it’s cheaper for him to sell his products in brick and mortar stores than to sell them on Amazon, because of the cut Amazon takes for packing and shipping.

From Time

The West is packing up, victorious in battle but defeated in war.

From The Daily Beast

Last weekend a family slipped out at four in the morning, packing their bags and leaving out the side door without a word.

From The Daily Beast

Any Miss America contestant who betrays herself to be a sexually autonomous being will be quickly sent packing.

From The Daily Beast

The logistics are a pain in the ass, packing stuff for two days spending time at his place—will it rain, should I take boots?

From The Daily Beast

Instead of packing the courts with judges, it had packed the courthouses with defendants.

From The Daily Beast

Their method of curing the leaves was to air-dry them and then packing them until wanted for use.

From Project Gutenberg

Nothing doubtful or "reputed" ever arrived in the huge packing-cases consigned to Walls End Castle.

From Project Gutenberg

The engine did not answer very well, for the packing in the pole stuffing box used to burn out, and a cloud of steam escaped.

From Project Gutenberg

While we were packing grub and bedding on Piegan's extra horse, Lyn joined us, wrapped from head to heel in a yellow slicker.

From Project Gutenberg

He was soon very quick in separating the fibres from the pulp and spreading them out to dry before packing.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• Styrofoam

More About Packing

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!

Where does packing come from?

The first records of the term packing come from around 1350. It comes from the Middle English pakking. It combines the verb pack, meaning to collect items together into a container, and the suffix –ing, which creates nouns out of verbs to express the action of the verb.

Packing is also a synonym for packaging. This can be either the wrapping or boxing around a product or shipment or the protective contents within to protect objects being shipped, such as Bubble Wrap or those messy packing peanuts that get all over the floor.

Did you know … ?

What are some other forms related to packing?

• underpacking (noun)
• overpacking (noun)

What are some synonyms for packing?

• boxing
• filling
• Styrofoam
• wadding

What are some words that share a root or word element with packing? 

• pack
• packing box
• packing density
• packing plant

What are some words that often get used in discussing packing?

• cardboard
• shipment
• Styrofoam
• suitcase
• trip

How is packing used in real life?

Packing as a noun is commonly used to refer to the action of placing items in compact form to move or store them.

Packing is always fun, especially for 3 months…

— Austin Mahone (@AustinMahone) July 19, 2014

if you’re packing to go somewhere. and leave your suitcase open. i’m allowed to climb inside. and then you have to take me with you. it’s the law

— Thoughts of Dog® (@dog_feelings) October 26, 2018

 

 

Try using packing!

Is packing used correctly in the following sentence?

Yuck, all of my packages came with packing peanuts to protect the items!