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
Joseph StrombergAdd pearl onions, mushrooms, and a dusting of marjoram.—Hali Ramdene
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
James PoniewozikExamples of dusting in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Gently shake, tap, and tilt the pan until all of the shortening is covered in a dusting of flour.
—Sheri Castle, Southern Living, 15 Dec. 2025
Most of the Lower Peninsula is expected to see little measurable snow, generally a dusting to an inch or two at most from light, passing bands.
—Brandi D. Addison, Freep.com, 11 Dec. 2025
As temperatures plummet into the weekend, strong gusts and rain will give way to a dusting of snow.
—John Tufts, IndyStar, 10 Dec. 2025
To finish off the look, Hadid’s go-to makeup artist Nadia Tayeh highlighted her lids with dustings of silver glitter and shimmery lips—as breezy as the butterfly cut itself.
—Ranyechi Udemezue, Vogue, 9 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dusting
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Sheri Castle, Southern Living, 15 Dec. 2025
Most of the Lower Peninsula is expected to see little measurable snow, generally a dusting to an inch or two at most from light, passing bands.
—Brandi D. Addison, Freep.com, 11 Dec. 2025
As temperatures plummet into the weekend, strong gusts and rain will give way to a dusting of snow.
—John Tufts, IndyStar, 10 Dec. 2025
To finish off the look, Hadid’s go-to makeup artist Nadia Tayeh highlighted her lids with dustings of silver glitter and shimmery lips—as breezy as the butterfly cut itself.
—Ranyechi Udemezue, Vogue, 9 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dusting
Cite this Entry
“Dusting.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dusting. Accessed 20 Dec. 2025.
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