From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishevening dressˈevening dress noun 1 [uncountable]DCC formal clothes that people wear for formal meals, parties, and social events in the evening2 (also evening gown) especially American English [countable]DCC an attractive dress that a woman wears to a formal meal, party, or social event in the evening
Examples from the Corpus
evening dress• It is absolutely vital to the sales of a popular car, a hi-fi radio, a camera or an evening dress.• Busacher arrived first, looking grand and archaic in full evening dress, white tie and tails.• Archer was in full evening dress.• At ten o'clock Morton put on full evening dress, and took a cab to the Beresfords' mansion.• The first three rows of the stalls were filled with people in evening dress.• The Oistrakhs bow and scrape in evening dress, on Emi-tape.• A man and woman in evening dress alighted from it. 