dusting

[ duhs-ting ]

noun

1. a light application:

   a dusting of powder.

2. a beating; defeat:

   He gave his opponent a good dusting.

Word History and Origins

Origin of dusting¹

First recorded in 1615–25; dust + -ing ¹

Example Sentences

She has her dusting day on Tuesday, vacuuming day on Wednesday and so on.

From Washington Post

Flakes may fly in the Outer Banks as snow targets North Carolina, southern VirginiaWe can’t rule out a dusting or a coating, with the chance increasing as you head south of the Beltway.

From Washington Post

Tres leches cake sports a two-toned top, thanks to a pink dusting of hibiscus sugar across half the luscious dessert.

From Washington Post

It’s not impossible that a spot or two gets a quick dusting on grassy surfaces.

From Washington Post

Some areas have already received a dusting and, with temperatures in the upper 20s and low 30s, it’s cold enough to stick on paved surfaces.

From Washington Post

Cue a series of shots of these veteran actors dusting off their best revenge faces.

From The Daily Beast

To my horror, he was romping with a girl on a white beach, a scrim of sand dusting her tan skin.

From The Daily Beast

Instead, her au naturel dusting and vacuuming maintained her svelte figure.

From The Daily Beast

This would make sense, if there was a cut-off somewhere along the vast “deodorant using—crop dusting” continuum.

From The Daily Beast

The wounded warrior in front of me rode so well, and so fast, dusting me in the flats, that for a while I forgot he was a veteran.

From The Daily Beast

Does he want his servants to be as clever as himself—to read his books and papers instead of dusting his library.

From Project Gutenberg

He walks slowly, dusting the iron railing, then turns to give my door a few light strokes with the cat-o'-many-tails.

From Project Gutenberg

He found his judge awakening from a nap before his library fire and dusting the crumbs from his beard.

From Project Gutenberg

"Everything is so sweet and cosey I almost envy you," she added, dusting the top of the clock with a tiny feather duster.

From Project Gutenberg

"Professor Farrago said they were not for us to eat," she said, dusting each pie with powdered sugar.

From Project Gutenberg