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

The weather service said Mount Hamilton in Santa Clara County received a small dusting of snow, as did Mount Diablo. —Rick Hurd, Mercury News, 18 Feb. 2026

Taking a more muted approach to embellishments, Cinq à Sept’s Jane Siskin added dustings of glam to her 10th anniversary collection, adding just a touch of bling to her more casual wares. —James Manso, Footwear News, 18 Feb. 2026

Make sure this is a very thin layer, almost like a dusting. —Rae Ford, Martha Stewart, 17 Feb. 2026

Use a dry cloth for dusting and polishing. —Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 17 Feb. 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