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

Serve the liqueur in stylish glassware, layer it over ice for a visual effect, and add a garnish, maybe a dusting of cocoa, a cinnamon stick, or a caramel drizzle. —Elizabeth Fogarty, Better Homes & Gardens, 21 Oct. 2025

This doesn't necessarily mean a deep clean, but a quick dusting. —Daley Quinn, Southern Living, 21 Oct. 2025

As snow levels descend, lower elevations could see a light dusting, potentially catching drivers unprepared. —Anna Skinner, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 Oct. 2025

While no snow is in the immediate forecast, a light dusting on the San Francisco Peaks may be possible. —Hayleigh Evans, AZCentral.com, 13 Oct. 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