dust

¹dust

noun \ˈdəst\

Definition of DUST

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

— dust·less \-ləs\ adjective

— dust·like \-ˌlīk\ adjective

Examples of DUST

1. The floor was covered with dust.
2. You can see the dust particles floating through the air.
3. There is not a speck of dust in that house.
4. As the car sped down the dirt road, it left a cloud of dust behind.
5. He wiped the chalk dust off his hands.

Origin of DUST

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: before 12th century

Related to DUST

Synonyms: chaff, deadwood, debris, dreck (also drek), dross, garbage, effluvium (also effluvia), junk, litter, offal, offscouring, raffle, refuse, riffraff, rubbish, scrap, spilth, trash, truck, waste

Related Words: crud, sewage, slop, swill, wash; detritus, remains, rubble, ruins; dump, scrap heap; lumber, odds and ends, trumpery; flotsam, jetsam, wreckage; castoff, cull, discard, hand-me-down, reject, throwaway; nothing, straw, two bits

Near Antonyms: catch, gem, goody (or goodie), jewel, pearl, plum, prize, treasure, treasure trove, trove, valuable; booty, find, salvage

see all synonyms and antonyms

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Rhymes with DUST

bust, crust, gust, just, lust, must, musth, rust, thrust, trust