dusting

noun

dust·​ing ˈdə-stiŋ 

plural dustings

1

: the act of making something clean by brushing or wiping away dirt and dust from the surface

The furniture needs a good dusting.

2

a

: a small amount of something that falls or is sprinkled over a surface

During summer, the cracked floor looks prehistoric under the desert sun; during winter, it's intermittently covered by sheets of ice and dustings of snow.

—Joseph Stromberg

Add pearl onions, mushrooms, and a dusting of marjoram.

—Hali Ramdene

b

: a faint or slight quality or amount

… sporting a dusting of stubble, DiSpirito runs Union Pacific, a paragon of gilded, inventive Manhattan dining.

—James Poniewozik

Examples of dusting in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

For dry dusting, drape a microfiber cloth over your Swiffer head and secure it by tucking the edges into its rubber grippers. —Asia London Palomba, The Spruce, 20 Jan. 2026

While Shanghai, China, received a dusting of snow, the weather caused roads in China to close, and the Japan Meteorological Agency asked people to avoid all non-essential travel. —Julia Gomez, USA Today, 20 Jan. 2026

Finish the custardy layers with a dusting of powdered sugar for the full Monte Cristo effect. —Holly Riordan, Better Homes & Gardens, 20 Jan. 2026

But the Panhandle in 2026 got a dusting of it over the weekend, one year after some places saw nearly 10 inches in 2025. —Richard Tribou, The Orlando Sentinel, 19 Jan. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1681, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for dusting

• busting
• crusting
• gusting
• lusting
• rusting
• thrusting
• trusting
• adjusting
• disgusting
• distrusting
• encrusting
• entrusting