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

Make like Suki Waterhouse and top off your aesthetic with a dusting of champagne shimmer—whimsical, sophisticated, and effortlessly romantic. —Calin Van Paris, Vogue, 12 Aug. 2025

Sometimes, however, it's finished more simply with a dusting of powdered sugar. —Kimberly Holland, Southern Living, 11 Aug. 2025

The ground is covered in a dusting of stones, like ice cream dipped in Heath bar pieces. —Jihan Forbes, Allure, 21 July 2025

Texans may wake up to a light dusting of snow in the coming days, with forecasters predicting brief flurries across several regions. —Brandi D. Addison, Austin American Statesman, 2 July 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