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/dʌst/
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Fine dry matter in the air or on surfaces, with related uses for decay into earth, cleaning it away, sprinkling powder, and slang for overwhelming defeat.
Examples The vase shattered, then slowly ground down to dust .
She dusted the truffles with cocoa.
The fallen empire was only dust in the poem.
Lightly dust the pan with flour before adding batter.
Our team got dusted in the first round.
Similar words ashes
clean
wipe
debris
polish clear
sprinkle
coat
particles
specks
Meanings Examples A film of dust covered the piano keys.
Wind lifted red dust from the road.
The filter traps pollen, soot, and fine dust .
Moon dust clung to the astronauts' boots.
Coal dust can irritate the lungs.
Similar words powder
particles
grit debris
residue
specks
Examples The old wall crumbled into dust .
The prayer speaks of returning to dust .
Years of weather turned the bones to dust .
The fallen empire was only dust in the poem.
The vase shattered, then slowly ground down to dust .
Similar words earth
ashes
remains
powder
ruin
Examples She dusts the shelves every Friday.
Please dust the frames before the guests arrive.
He dusted the keyboard with a soft brush.
The museum staff dust the cases carefully.
I dusted the lampshade and washed the table.
Similar words clean
wipe
brush
sweep
polish clear
Examples The baker dusted the cake with powdered sugar.
Lightly dust the pan with flour before adding batter.
Farmers dusted the crop with pesticide.
She dusted the truffles with cocoa.
The printmaker dusted the plate with fine resin.
Similar words sprinkle
powder
coat
scatter
sift
Examples The sprinter dusted the field in the final lap.
Our team got dusted in the first round.
The champion dusted every challenger that season.
In the film, the villain threatens to dust the witness.
A single mistake let the veteran player dust him.
Etymology From Old English dūst , with Germanic relatives including Dutch duist and German Dunst . The verb grew from the noun, first for raising or sprinkling dust and later for cleaning it away. The slang defeat sense is recorded in American English in the twentieth century.
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