Meaning & use
crating
Last updated
“crating” is a form of “crate”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meanings
verbtransitive
The act of putting things into crates for storage or transport.
Grammar: It is the -ing form of 'crate' and can be used as a noun (gerund) or as part of a progressive verb form.
Patterns
- crating something
- crating something up
The workers are crating the equipment before the move.
Crating fragile items takes time and care.
After crating all the books, they loaded the truck.
noununcountable
The activity or process of packing goods into crates.
Grammar: Used as a noun, it usually refers to the process and is not used with 'a' or in the plural.
Patterns
- crating of something
- crating and packing
Crating of the artwork will be done by specialists.
The company offers crating and shipping services.
Proper crating prevents damage during transit.
Word forms
| third person singular | crates |
|---|---|
| past tense | crated |
| past participle | crated |
| present participle | crating |
Common combinations
- crating and packing
- The movers provide crating and packing for fragile items.
- crating service
- We used a professional crating service for the piano.
- crating fee
- There is an extra crating fee for large items.
- crating up
- They spent the morning crating up the goods.
Synonyms and how they differ
- packing
- More general; packing can involve boxes, bags, or other containers, while crating specifically means putting into crates.
- boxing
- Similar but refers to boxes rather than crates; crates are usually larger and made of wood or plastic.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: crating or creating?
crating vs creating
Sounds similar but means making or producing something; 'crating' is about packing into crates.
Practice
The museum is ______ the ancient statues for safe transport.
Choose one answer.
'Crating' is the correct -ing form here because the sentence needs a present participle after 'is'. 'Creating' means making something new, which does not fit the context of packing statues. 'Crating up' is possible but less common and would need a different structure; 'crate' is the base form and does not fit after 'is'.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “crating”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.