dusting

American  

[duhs-ting] / ˈdʌs tɪŋ /

noun

1. a light application.

   a dusting of powder.

2. a beating; defeat.

   He gave his opponent a good dusting.

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Etymology

Origin of dusting

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

Example Sentences

“There we are,” Auntie North said, dusting her hands as she stood over the crackling fire.

From Literature

“There’s a book that’s sitting in your house somewhere that could use some dusting off,” he sang while playing an acoustic guitar.

From The Wall Street Journal

First, the Coens submerge us headfirst into the cold netherworld of a Minnesota winter, where criminals hope that a dusting of fresh, frosty powder will cover their tracks.

From Salon

It was at the home of one of those families that a fourteen-year-old Olka was caught reading a book while dusting.

From Literature

Will the vibes dissolve in a larger city just as the only dusting of snow all week vanished when it touched the sidewalk?

From Los Angeles Times