dust

nounverbcommon in dialogue

//dʌst//
//dʊst//

Fine particles. Fine, dry particles of matter found in the air and covering the surface of objects, typically consisting of soil lifted up by the wind, pollen, hair, fiber debris, dead skin cells, etc.

noun

1
Fine particles. Fine, dry particles of matter found in the air and covering the surface of objects, typically consisting of soil lifted up by the wind, pollen, hair, fiber debris, dead skin cells, etc.
There is so much dust released during the process of laying ballast that the trackside operator wears a full face mask with respirator.
2
Fine particles. Any substance reduced to fine particles; powder.
3
Fine particles. Submicron particles in outer space, largely silicates and carbon compounds, that contribute greatly to extinction at visible wavelengths.
Astronomers have previously considered that dust produced by the star was obscuring it, causing the steep decline in brightness.
4
Fine particles. Disintegration of a solid, like silica.
5
datedFine particles. Flour.
6
obsoleteFine particles. A single fine, dry particle of earth or other material; grain of dust.
to touch a dust of England’s ground
7
The act of cleaning by dusting.
[…]once they start school, I mean you can do a room out one day, the next day it only needs a dust, doesn’t it?
8
The act of sprinkling dust, or a sprinkle of dust itself.
9
Earth, ground, soil, sediment.
But I should turn mine ears and hear The moanings of the homeless sea, ⁠The sound of streams that swift or slow ⁠Draw down Æonian hills, and sow The dust of continents to be; […]
10
The earth as the resting place of the dead.
For now shall I sleep in the dust.
11
The earthly remains of bodies once alive; the remains of the human body.
For I will leave my relics in your land, / And you may carve a shrine about my dust, / And burn a fragrant lamp before my bones, / When I am gather’d to the glorious saints.
12
figurativeThe substance of the human body or mortal frame.
13
figurativeSomething worthless.
And by the merit of vile gold, dross, dust.
14
figurativeA low or mean condition.
[God] raiseth up the poor out of the dust.
15
Rubbish, garbage, refuse.
16
datedcash; money (in reference to gold dust).
‘And what do you ask for it?’ ‘Fifteen thousand dollars.’ ‘I’ll take it.’ ‘Then down with the dust.’
17
A cloud of dust.
18
figurativeA tumult, disturbance, commotion, uproar.
to raise, or kick up, a dust
19
A fight or row.
20
A totally disconnected set of points with a fractal structure.
21
Tiny amounts of cryptocurrency left over after a transaction due to rounding error.

Etymology

From Middle English dust, doust, from Old English dūst (“dust, dried earth reduced to powder; other dry material reduced to powder”), from the fusion of Proto-Germanic *dustą (“dust”) and *dunstą (“mist, dust, evaporation”), both from Proto-Indo-European *dʰewh₂- (“to smoke, raise dust”). Cognate with Scots dust, dist (“dust”), Dutch duist (“pollen, dust”) and dons (“down, fuzz”), German Dust (“dust”) and Dunst (“haze”), Swedish dust (“dust”), Icelandic dust (“dust”), Latin fūmus (“smoke, steam”). Also related to Swedish dun (“down, fluff”), Icelandic dúnn (“down, fluff”). See down.

verb

1
To remove dust from.
The cleaning lady needs a stool to dust the cupboard.
There were many wooden chairs for the bulk of his visitors, and two wicker armchairs with red cloth cushions for superior people. From the packing-cases had emerged some Indian clubs,[…], and all these articles[…] made a scattered and untidy decoration that Mrs. Clough assiduously dusted and greatly cherished.
2
To remove dust; to clean by removing dust.
Dusting always makes me cough.
3
archaicTo make dusty, to soil with dust.
4
Of a bird, to cover itself in sand or dry, dusty earth.
5
To spray or cover (something) with fine powder or liquid, to sprinkle.
The mother dusted her baby’s bum with talcum powder.
6
To sprinkle (a substance) in the form of dust.
7
slangTo leave quickly; to rush off.
He added in a casual tone: ‘The girl can dust. I’d like to talk to you a little, soldier.’
8
obsoleteTo drink up quickly; to toss off.
9
obsoleteTo reduce to a fine powder; to pulverize, to levigate.
good Powder differs from bad […]in having more Peter and less Coal; and lastly, in the well dusting of it
10
To strike, beat, thrash.
11
slangTo defeat badly, to thrash.
12
slangTo kill.
Kyle Reese: You have to be careful because the [Hunter-Killer robots] use infrared. They’re not too bright. John taught us ways to dust them.
13
To deliberately pitch a ball close to (a batter); to brush back.
14
To attempt to identify the owner of (a cryptocurrency wallet) by sending tiny amounts of cryptocurrency.

Forms

plural: dusts
past tense: dusted
past participle: dusted
present participle: dusting
third person singular: dusts

during · For all of a given time interval; throughout; in; pending.During · A surname.dusk · Tending to darkness or blackness; moderately dark or black;…

dust · Fine particles. Fine, dry particles of matter found in the air and covering the surface of objects, typically consisting of soil lifted up by the…

Dust · A surname.Dustin · A male given name from the Germanic languages (very rarely…dusting · A light snowfall.

The neighbouring pages — Alphabetical order follows the rules of the language, not byte values: an accent decides only between two otherwise identical words, and Spanish files Ñ as a letter of its own.