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

While fire danger persists in lower elevations, Colorado’s mountains can expect between a dusting and 2 inches of snow, according to the weather service. —Lauren Penington, Denver Post, 10 Mar. 2026

The cake’s exterior is cloaked in smooth buttercream icing that clings to the fork, while the generous dusting of coconut flakes adds a gentle crackle with each mouthful. —Jessica Safavimehr, Southern Living, 9 Mar. 2026

The Moses is not part of the restoration but will get a dusting off when the job is done. —ABC News, 9 Mar. 2026

Residents in the Twin Cities metro might wake to a light dusting of snow Saturday morning but can look forward to a possible high of 60 on Monday, according to the National Weather Service Twin Cities. —Kristi Miller, Twin Cities, 6 Mar. 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