1
a
: the action or process of packing something
also
: a method of packing
b
: the processing of food and especially meat for future sale
2
: material (such as a covering or stuffing) used to protect packed goods (as for shipping)
also
: material used for making airtight or watertight
packing for a faucet
3
US politics
: a form of gerrymandering in which election districts are drawn in such a way that voters likely to support the opposing party are concentrated into a single district to limit the influence of their votes in other districts
… it calculates the impact of the two mechanisms that create gerrymandering. The first of these is "packing," which means one side's votes have been overconcentrated so they win by huge margins in a small number of districts (creating a surplus of votes).—
G. Terry Madonna and Michael Young
compare cracking sense 2
G. Terry Madonna and Michael YoungExamples of packing in a Sentence
We finished all our packing yesterday.
I used some old newspapers for packing.
Recent Examples on the Web
The Kings who Steph Curry sent packing with his legendary 50-point Game 7 last year are different.
—Danny Emerman, The Mercury News, 16 Apr. 2024
But the many experts who had been brought to Dayton to offer evidence—about geology, zoology, anthropology, and more—were allowed only to read affidavits into the record but then sent packing.
—Lisa Grunwald, TIME, 12 Apr. 2024
Below is my music-festival packing list for staying hydrated, keeping warm at night, avoiding feet pain, and everything in between.
—Andrea Navarro, Glamour, 12 Apr. 2024
Anker Portable Charger $50 A portable battery charger is another essential for cruise packing.
—Becca Blond, Travel + Leisure, 7 Apr. 2024
The formula is of the highest possible quality; the packing alone is based on modern tech and ensures a 2-year shelf life.
—Amber Smith, Discover Magazine, 3 Apr. 2024
And some were eliminated by each other, as when Iowa State bounced Washington State and Creighton sent Oregon packing.
—Jon Wilner, San Diego Union-Tribune, 1 Apr. 2024
That meant Dawn turned to dusk, and the Brooklyn queen was sent packing.
—Stephen Daw, Billboard, 26 Mar. 2024
Those hoping to climb Everest this year will have to make some slight adjustments to their packing list, as new rules now mandate that climbers bring their excrement down with them from the world’s highest peak, in a bid to tackle pollution.
—Amy Woodyatt, CNN, 25 Mar. 2024
Danny Emerman, The Mercury News, 16 Apr. 2024
But the many experts who had been brought to Dayton to offer evidence—about geology, zoology, anthropology, and more—were allowed only to read affidavits into the record but then sent packing.
—Lisa Grunwald, TIME, 12 Apr. 2024
Below is my music-festival packing list for staying hydrated, keeping warm at night, avoiding feet pain, and everything in between.
—Andrea Navarro, Glamour, 12 Apr. 2024
Anker Portable Charger $50 A portable battery charger is another essential for cruise packing.
—Becca Blond, Travel + Leisure, 7 Apr. 2024
The formula is of the highest possible quality; the packing alone is based on modern tech and ensures a 2-year shelf life.
—Amber Smith, Discover Magazine, 3 Apr. 2024
And some were eliminated by each other, as when Iowa State bounced Washington State and Creighton sent Oregon packing.
—Jon Wilner, San Diego Union-Tribune, 1 Apr. 2024
That meant Dawn turned to dusk, and the Brooklyn queen was sent packing.
—Stephen Daw, Billboard, 26 Mar. 2024
Those hoping to climb Everest this year will have to make some slight adjustments to their packing list, as new rules now mandate that climbers bring their excrement down with them from the world’s highest peak, in a bid to tackle pollution.
—Amy Woodyatt, CNN, 25 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'packing.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near packing
Cite this Entry
“Packing.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/packing. Accessed 27 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
packing
noun
pack·ing
ˈpak-iŋ 
1
: the therapeutic application of a pack
hemorrhage … could not be controlled by suture or packing—Journal of the American Medical Association
Journal of the American Medical Association2
: the material used in packing
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