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

Sofa cushions, pillows, and throws would be fluffed and tidied and nearly all surfaces would receive a quick dusting. —Patricia Shannon, Southern Living, 2 Nov. 2025

Having discovered a scarecrow dummy — an exact-looking replica of her costume — stashed in Sharon’s garage, a quick fingerprint dusting revealed a clear fingerprint from the kid who was on her porch at the time of Beryl’s murder. —Sophie Brookover, Vulture, 31 Oct. 2025

With the approach of the holiday season, many European cities transform into fairy-tale winter wonderlands—sometimes with a dusting of snow. —Sophie Friedman, AFAR Media, 27 Oct. 2025

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

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