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
Joseph StrombergAdd pearl onions, mushrooms, and a dusting of marjoram.—Hali Ramdene
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
James PoniewozikExamples of dusting in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
As temperatures plummet into the weekend, strong gusts and rain will give way to a dusting of snow.
—John Tufts, IndyStar, 10 Dec. 2025
To finish off the look, Hadid’s go-to makeup artist Nadia Tayeh highlighted her lids with dustings of silver glitter and shimmery lips—as breezy as the butterfly cut itself.
—Ranyechi Udemezue, Vogue, 9 Dec. 2025
The National Weather Service in Louisville projects some areas in our region will see a dusting to a half-inch of snow.
—Leo Bertucci, Louisville Courier Journal, 8 Dec. 2025
However, this was not enough to accumulate anything more than a light dusting in most places and has already begun to dry out.
—Kyle Reiman, ABC News, 6 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dusting
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
John Tufts, IndyStar, 10 Dec. 2025
To finish off the look, Hadid’s go-to makeup artist Nadia Tayeh highlighted her lids with dustings of silver glitter and shimmery lips—as breezy as the butterfly cut itself.
—Ranyechi Udemezue, Vogue, 9 Dec. 2025
The National Weather Service in Louisville projects some areas in our region will see a dusting to a half-inch of snow.
—Leo Bertucci, Louisville Courier Journal, 8 Dec. 2025
However, this was not enough to accumulate anything more than a light dusting in most places and has already begun to dry out.
—Kyle Reiman, ABC News, 6 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dusting
Cite this Entry
“Dusting.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dusting. Accessed 14 Dec. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share