dust

1 of 2

noun

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
6
archaic : a single particle (as of earth)
7
British : refuse ready for collection
dustless adjective
dustlike 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

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
Sprinkle with a little more salt and pepper, and dust with paprika. Sheri Castle, Southern Living, 4 Mar. 2024 But nothing gives this adaptation — which otherwise might have easily been forgotten as a quirky '90s made-for-TV one-off — so much fairy dust as a glimmering Whitney Houston playing the best-ever fairy godmother. EW.com, 4 Mar. 2024 The bull settles his gaze on Catalino and stomps the ground, shooting dust into the air. Toby Muse, Rolling Stone, 3 Mar. 2024 From June to September, large dust storms can occur across the state as high winds pick up loose dust. Staff Reports, The Arizona Republic, 28 Feb. 2024 Workers wearing masks against the dust unload sacks weighing as much as 65 kilograms (143 pounds) and tear them open, prepping the contents for drying, sorting and cleaning. Mumbi Gitau, Fortune Europe, 27 Feb. 2024 Pride and politics Some residents of Keyser say coming home covered in coal dust is something to be proud of. Kat Lonsdorf, NPR, 26 Feb. 2024 Perhaps only San Francisco is a better example than New York City, where the amount of offices collecting dust is at a record high: almost 20% are sitting empty, hemorrhaging money and shrinking the city’s tax base. Dylan Sloan, Fortune, 25 Feb. 2024 In some scenes, the bright, bleached sand surroundings become engulfed in deep, almost blood-like terra-cotta clouds of dust that disorient Fremen enemies. Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 21 Feb. 2024
Verb
Across Tennessee, Ohio, Virginia, Maryland, New York and New Jersey, entire school districts canceled classes as the latest winter storm dusts the Midwest and eastern U.S. in several inches of snow. Christopher Cann, USA TODAY, 23 Feb. 2024 As the industry gets back up and dusts itself off, those who set up a great plan for business impact will stand out in 2024. Kevin Kruse, Forbes, 21 Feb. 2024 The pastry shop, which opened in 2002 by husband-and-wife team Cheryl and Griffin Day, drew lines down the block for its golden biscuits, cookies pooled with chocolate and dusted with flaky salt, and cinnamon buns slathered with icing. Lisa Cericola, Southern Living, 17 Feb. 2024 Then there are disposable dusting cloths, which can be just as effective. Alida Nugent, Better Homes & Gardens, 15 Feb. 2024 Gather the rough dough together and place it on a surface lightly dusted with oat flour. Jenna Prestininzi, Detroit Free Press, 26 Jan. 2024 The lightweight, ultra-pigmented powder blush is perfect for dusting over your cheeks, and the hydrating cream adds a dewy finish for a flawless look that lasts all day. Talia Connor, Rolling Stone, 22 Jan. 2024 Palmer's eyes were dusted with the subtlest shade of shimmery green to reflect the rest of her outfit, with a lighter, more vivid color concentrated in at the inner lid and blended outward. Kara Nesvig, Allure, 27 Dec. 2023 Ingredients 3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting 1 1/2 cups packed light brown sugar 1 tsp. Pam Lolley, Southern Living, 2 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'dust.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of dust was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near dust

Cite this Entry

“Dust.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dust. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

dust

1 of 2 noun
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

More from Merriam-Webster on dust

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!