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 style is defined by a light dusting of corn flour or cornmeal allowing the natural flavor of shrimp, flounder, scallops and oysters to stand out. —Evan Moore, Charlotte Observer, 4 Mar. 2026

Use a seed-starting mix and cover the seeds with just a dusting of soil. —Heather Bien, Southern Living, 4 Mar. 2026

Tasks will include dusting, straightening and washing. —Melissa Grzybowski, Austin American Statesman, 27 Feb. 2026

At Erdem, a light dusting of cranberry blush was also a feature. —Ranyechi Udemezue, Vogue, 27 Feb. 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