dust

[ duhst ]

noun

1. earth or other matter in fine, dry particles.
2. a cloud of finely powdered earth or other matter in the air.
3. any finely powdered substance, as sawdust.
4. the ground; the earth's surface.
5. the substance to which something, as the dead human body, is ultimately reduced by disintegration or decay; earthly remains.
6. British.
   1. ashes, refuse, etc.
   2. junk ¹( def 1 ).
7. a low or humble condition.
8. anything worthless.
9. disturbance; turmoil.
10. gold dust.
11. the mortal body of a human being.
12. a single particle or grain.
13. Archaic. money; cash.

verb (used with object)

1. to wipe the dust from:

   to dust a table.

2. to sprinkle with a powder or dust:

   to dust rosebushes with an insecticide.

3. to strew or sprinkle (a powder, dust, or other fine particles):

   to dust insecticide on a rosebush.

4. to soil with dust; make dusty.

verb (used without object)

1. to wipe dust from furniture, woodwork, etc.
2. to become dusty.
3. to apply dust or powder to a plant, one's body, etc.:

   to dust with an insecticide in late spring.

dust

/ dʌst /

noun

1. dry fine powdery material, such as particles of dirt, earth or pollen
2. a cloud of such fine particles
3. the powdery particles to which something is thought to be reduced by death, decay, or disintegration
4. 1. the mortal body of man
   2. the corpse of a dead person
5. the earth; ground
6. informal.
   a disturbance; fuss (esp in the phrases kick up a dust, raise a dust )
7. something of little or no worth
8. informal.
   (in mining parlance) silicosis or any similar respiratory disease
9. short for gold dust
10. ashes or household refuse
11. bite the dust
    1. to fail completely or cease to exist
    2. to fall down dead
12. dust and ashes
    something that is very disappointing
13. leave someone or something in the dust
    to outdo someone or something comprehensively or with ease

    leaving their competitors in the dust

14. shake the dust off one's feet
    to depart angrily or contemptuously
15. throw dust in the eyes of
    to confuse or mislead

verb

1. tr to sprinkle or cover (something) with (dust or some other powdery substance)

   to dust a cake with sugar

   to dust sugar onto a cake

2. to remove dust by wiping, sweeping, or brushing
3. archaic.
   to make or become dirty with dust

Derived Forms

• ˈdustless, adjective

Other Words From

• dustless adjective
• re·dust verb (used with object)
• un·dusted adjective
• well-dusted adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of dust¹

before 900; Middle English; Old English dūst; cognate with German Dunst vapor

Word History and Origins

Origin of dust¹

Old English dūst; related to Danish dyst flour dust, Middle Dutch dūst dust, meal dust, Old High German tunst storm

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. bite the dust,
   1. to be killed, especially in battle; die.
   2. to suffer defeat; be unsuccessful; fail:

      Another manufacturer has bitten the dust.

2. dust off,
   1. Baseball. (of a pitcher) to throw the ball purposely at or dangerously close to (the batter).
   2. to take out or prepare for use again, as after a period of inactivity or storage:

      I'm going to dust off my accounting skills and try to get a job in the finance department.

   3. to beat up badly:

      The gang of hoodlums dusted off a cop.

3. leave one in the dust, to overtake and surpass a competitor or one who is less ambitious, qualified, etc.:

   Don't be so meek, they'll leave you in the dust.

4. lick the dust,
   1. to be killed; die.
   2. to humble oneself abjectly; grovel:

      He will resign rather than lick the dust.

5. make the dust fly, to execute with vigor or speed:

   We turned them loose on the work, and they made the dust fly.

6. shake the dust from one's feet, to depart in anger or disdain; leave decisively or in haste, especially from an unpleasant situation:

   As the country moved toward totalitarianism, many of the intelligentsia shook the dust from their feet.

7. throw dust in someone's eyes, to mislead; deceive:

   He threw dust in our eyes by pretending to be a jeweler and then disappeared with the diamonds.

More idioms and phrases containing dust

In addition to the idiom beginning with dust , also see bite the dust ; dry as dust ; in the dust ; make the dust fly ; shake the dust from one's feet ; throw dust in someone's eyes ; watch my dust ; when the dust has settled .

Example Sentences

But will he be dusting off his vocal chops for another pop cover like in the first film?

From Los Angeles Times

Within minutes, the mother of seven and grandmother of 14 lay dying in the dust of the olive grove, with a bullet wound in her chest - she’d been shot by an Israeli soldier.

From BBC

Some of Ian Hughes’s earliest memories are of playing in the dust and digging holes while his mom and her colleagues searched for fossils in South Australia.

From Science Magazine

Two years ago, it took nearly a month for the dust to settle in California’s congressional races.

From Los Angeles Times

There’s also, per the title, a prophecy, a deathbed vision by Valya’s predecessor of an apocalyptic “red dust” storm that will wipe out … something.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• dredge
• scatter
• sift
• spray