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

In downtown Evergreen, there was only a dusting. —Alan Gionet, CBS News, 8 Jan. 2026

While single-stage snowblowers are optimal for light dustings, two-stage blowers are ideal for heavy-duty conditions and larger spaces. —Stephanie Osmanski, Better Homes & Gardens, 8 Jan. 2026

Colorado’s Eastern Plains, including Limon and Fort Morgan, could also see between a dusting and 7 inches of snow starting Thursday, according to the weather service. —Lauren Penington, Denver Post, 7 Jan. 2026

Cut up an old blanket into manageable squares for staining furniture, dusting, cleaning mirrors, wiping up spills, polishing silver, and more. —Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 2 Jan. 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