Dress
/dres/noun
A piece of clothing for the body; also to put on clothes or arrange something neatly.
Did you know?In older English, related forms of this root were used for arranging, straightening, and preparing things, which is why the word still carries the sense of both clothing and order.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*reg-
“to move in a straight line; to rule, direct, or make straight”
Latin
Latin
regere
“to guide, direct, rule, or keep straight”
Old French
Old French
drecier
“to set straight, arrange, prepare”
Middle English
English
dressen
“to arrange, prepare, put in order; later, to clothe”
Modern English
English
dress
“to put on clothing; clothing itself; also to arrange or prepare”