Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- adjective Of or relating to a situation requiring formal clothes or a costume.
- noun The activity of trying on fanciful outfits.
Etymologies
Sorry, no etymologies found.
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Examples
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Though Cindy Sherman's dress-up games might not transport you to the happiest of worlds, they're increasingly, compellingly, far out.
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I have been searching for ages for a magnetic dress-up Jesus!
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But within moments of chatting, while other kids launched themselves into making airports with wood blocks or setting up elaborate scenarios of households and hospitals in the dress-up corner, Raymond would thread his way through the small groups, heading purposefully for the painting area.
Red Flags or Red Herrings? Susan Engel 2011
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Play dress-up free—or buy any of the contents if you want to take them home. the-berkeley.co.uk
Travel News: Inspirato, The Berkeley, Cartier's Concours d'Elegance India 2011
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Things became a bit more awkward after Brother Curtis arrived with clothes—nice dress-up clothes—for the boy to wear.
The Sins of Brother Curtis Lisa Davis 2011
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If two children were in the dress-up corner playing Mommy and Daddy and another child wandered over hoping to join, they had to find a way to include her.
Red Flags or Red Herrings? Susan Engel 2011
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When I did notice, it looked like the actors were playing dress-up in a painting, which I didn't have a problem with, either.
Archive 2009-11-01 2009
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"It was like getting to play dress-up as an adult," gushes Luddington.
Lifetime Prepares for the Royal Wedding with William & Kate 2011
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When I did notice, it looked like the actors were playing dress-up in a painting, which I didn't have a problem with, either.
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They're dress-up generals in a make-believe war, corporate servants who use the rhetoric of yesterday's revolution to serve today's Redcoats.
Richard (RJ) Eskow: The New War of Independence -- Against Corporate Politics RJ 2011
Mary2 commented on the word dress-up
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/dress-up
See also the second sentence in my blog entry for "storebought."
http://reckonishouldtell.blogspot.com/
June 27, 2009