dust

1 of 2

noun

ˈdəst 

1

: fine particles of matter (as of earth)

2

: the particles into which something disintegrates

3

a

: something worthless

b

: a state of humiliation

4

a

: the earth especially as a place of burial

b

: the surface of the ground

5

a

: a cloud of dust

b

: confusion, disturbance

6

archaic : a single particle (as of earth)

7

British : refuse ready for collection

dustless

ˈdəst-ləs 

adjective

dustlike

ˈdəst-ˌlīk 

adjective

dust

2 of 2

verb

dusted; dusting; dusts

transitive verb

1

archaic : to make dusty

2

: to make free of dust

dust the living room

3

a

: to sprinkle with fine particles

a cake dusted with sugar

b

: to sprinkle in the form of dust

4

: to throw a fastball close to (a batter) : brush back

—often used with off

5

: to defeat badly (as in a race)

intransitive verb

1

of a bird : to work dust into the feathers

2

: to remove dust

3

: to give off dust

Synonyms

Noun

• chaff
• deadwood
• debris
• dreck
• drek
• dross
• effluvium
• effluvia
• garbage
• junk
• litter
• offal
• offscouring
• raffle
• refuse
• riffraff
• rubbish
• scrap
• spilth
• trash
• truck
• waste

Verb

• annihilate
• blow away
• bomb
• bury
• clobber
• cream
• drub
• flatten
• paste
• rout
• shellac
• skin
• skunk
• smoke [slang]
• smother
• snow under
• thrash
• trim
• tromp
• trounce
• wallop
• wax [slang]
• whip
• whomp
• whop
• whap
• whup

Examples of dust in a Sentence

Noun

The floor was covered with dust.

You can see the dust particles floating through the air.

There is not a speck of dust in that house.

As the car sped down the dirt road, it left a cloud of dust behind.

He wiped the chalk dust off his hands.

Verb

I dust at least once a week.

Dust the pan with flour.

The crops will be dusted with pesticide.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

This is why treadmills collect dust, gym memberships go unused and diets fail. —Expert Panel®, Forbes, 6 Dec. 2024

Who decided that Curtis Bay coal dust and Belair Road accidents were more timely and relevant to your readers? —Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 4 Dec. 2024

Verb

Roll out dough: Place dough between 2 sheets of parchment paper dusted with flour, and roll into a circle about 14 inches in diameter and about 1/8-inch thick. —Liv Dansky, Southern Living, 8 Dec. 2024

The pals, played by Hacks’ Megan Stalter and actor Owen Thiele, quickly begin to suspect that this guy is in fact Santa Claus, especially when Astin asks for a warm glass of milk and an oversized chocolate chip cookie dusted lightly with candy cane shards. —Angie Martoccio, Rolling Stone, 6 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, from Old English dūst; akin to Old High German tunst storm, and probably to Latin fumus smoke — more at fume

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1530, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Phrases Containing dust

• angel dust
• as soon as the dust settles
• bite the dust
• cosmic dust
• dust bowl
• dust bunny
• dust devil
• dust jacket
• dust mite
• dust mop
• dust off
• dust oneself down
• dust oneself off
• dust sheet
• dust storm
• dust wrapper
• eat dust
• Eat my dust!
• house dust mite
• kick up dust
• leave (someone) in the dust
• let the dust settle
• the dust settles
• When the dust settled

Kids Definition

dust

1 of 2 noun

ˈdəst 

1

a

: fine dry powdery particles (as of earth)

b

: a fine powder

2

: the powdery remains of bodies once alive

3

: something worthless

4

: the surface of the ground

dust

2 of 2 verb

1

: to make free of dust : brush or wipe away dust

dusted the living room

2

: to sprinkle with dust or as a dust

dust a pan with flour

dust insecticide on plants