powdery

adjective

pow·​dery ˈpau̇-də-rē How to pronounce powdery (audio)
1
a
: resembling or consisting of powder
powdery snow
b
: easily reduced to powder : crumbling
2
: covered with or as if with powder

Examples of powdery in a Sentence

the beach's powdery white sand We skied down the powdery slopes.
Recent Examples on the Web These tiny, winged insects have a delicate, powdery white appearance. Rita Pelczar, Better Homes & Gardens, 1 Dec. 2021 You're Exposed to Tear Gas Tear gas is a thick, powdery fog that sticks to moisture, like saliva, sweat, tears, and mucous membranes and causes an intense burning sensation. Louryn Strampe, Wired, 2 June 2020 Beaches in the coastal states are in the process of welcoming guests (slowly and distantly) back to their powdery, soft-sanded shores. Maya Kachroo-Levine, Travel + Leisure, 23 May 2020 Grand Haven State Park, Michigan Set on the shores of Lake Michigan, this 48-acre park with powdery white sand offers activities like fat-tire biking, barbecuing, sunbathing, swimming, and volleyball. Patricia Doherty, Travel + Leisure, 20 May 2020 The resort island, known for its powdery white sand and shallow waters, was shut down for months for a government clean up before gradually reopening to the public about a year ago. Ian C Sayson, Bloomberg.com, 6 May 2020 Klorane and Batiste lean more powdery, Dove and Tresemmé have more of a micro-mist, while Living Proof has oil-eliminating molecules that actually clean your hair. Glamour Beauty Editors, Glamour, 15 Jan. 2020 One, in a darkened tunnel, is shot amid a crimson glow and a clouds of powdery white (from a flour truck). Jake Coyle, Detroit Free Press, 12 Mar. 2020 The server set the jars’ tops aside, reached in with silver tongs and lifted a long, chubby white band of powdery marshmallow, snipping off squares with shiny oversize scissors. Dorie Greenspan, New York Times, 5 Feb. 2020

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'powdery.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of powdery was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near powdery

Cite this Entry

“Powdery.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/powdery. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

powdery

adjective
pow·​dery ˈpau̇d-ə-rē How to pronounce powdery (audio)
1
a
: resembling or consisting of powder
b
: easily made into a powder : crumbly
2
: covered with or as if with powder : dusty

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