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!

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.

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

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

Is packing used correctly in the following sentence?

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