crop-dusting

American  

[krop-duhs-ting] / ˈkrɒpˌdʌs tɪŋ /

noun

1. the spraying of powdered fungicides or insecticides on crops, usually from an airplane.

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crop-dusting British  

noun

1. the spreading of fungicide, etc on crops in the form of dust, often from an aircraft

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Usage

What else does crop-dusting mean? In slang, crop-dusting is the act of moving while passing gas, usually silently, thereby “dusting” other people or an area with the gas.

Example Sentences

Well before "Silent Spring" was published, a crop-dusting industry developed on the Great Plains in the years after World War II to apply newly commercialized pesticides.

From Salon • Oct. 30, 2022

Trevithick says crop-dusting planes proved to be efficient and simple, given their original purpose as agricultural implements.

From Slate • Sep. 26, 2022

Supporters at a rally last month complained of a crop-dusting drone spraying urine from overhead.

From Reuters • Jul. 13, 2022

His father, Joseph Biden Sr., started a crop-dusting business, and after it flopped, cleaned boilers and sold cars.

From Washington Post • Jan. 12, 2021

Sometimes the ponds receive not only contaminated runoff but also a direct dose as crop-dusting pilots neglect to shut off the duster in passing over a pond.

From "Silent Spring" by Rachel Carson