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

The two-in-one crevice dusting brush, and the ability to convert from a cordless stick to a handheld adds functionality for other cleaning scenarios. —Terri Williams, Architectural Digest, 18 Apr. 2025

The pink dusting will differentiate sterilized from non-sterilized mosquitoes when they’re collected as samples. —Ryanne Mena, Oc Register, 16 Apr. 2025

In order to keep hair healthy, most pros recommend at least three dustings a year and embracing split-end treatments, such as Briogeo’s Don’t Despair, Repair! —Lauren Valenti, Vogue, 19 Mar. 2025

Jonathan Gitlin Even with a heavy dusting of spring pollen drybrushing highlights onto the Continental GT's matte exterior, this was a car that attracted attention. —ArsTechnica, 13 May 2025

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