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

There were dense beds of clams, each up to 9 inches long, and snow-like microbial mats creating an ethereal undersea dusting, dozens of feet wide. —Jackson Peck, NBC news, 31 July 2025

Though small, Calabash has a rather large claim: It’s been deemed the Seafood Capital of the World, thanks to a very specific method of frying fish and shrimp that involves a light dusting of flour or cornmeal before dunking it in hot oil. —Lydia Mansel, Travel + Leisure, 21 July 2025

Here's how to give your blinds a quick dusting with a vinegar solution for a light clean. Wipe the slats with a clean, dry microfiber cloth to pick up as much dust as possible. —Ashlyn Needham, Southern Living, 19 July 2025

There’s a dusting of togarashi powder hot with the numbing sensation of Sichuan peppercorns. —Jenn Harris, Los Angeles Times, 18 June 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