DictionaryRoot: dresser
Old French
dresser
make straight, arrange, or prepare
Forms
- dresser
- dress- — The form retained when the French ending is removed.
Origin
From a later Latin formation related to directus, “straight,” from dirigere.
Note
Preparing or arranging something preceded the modern concentration on clothing.
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noun / verb / adjective
dress
DRESS/dres/
To clothe or furnish for presentation.
Etymology
The ancestor meaning “straighten” or “arrange” developed into adorning and putting on clothing. Dress then named clothing generally before narrowing to a garment combining a bodice and skirt.