Etymology
Origin of powdery
First recorded in 1400–50, powdery is from the late Middle English word powdry. See powder 1, -y 1
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Powdery mildew, unlike most other fungal diseases, doesn’t need moist conditions to grow.
From Seattle Times • Sep. 6, 2023
Powdery scab is mainly a cosmetic issue, turning nice-looking potatoes into unappetizing, lesion-covered blobs.
From Salon • May 31, 2023
Powdery mildew certainly sounds unappealing, but for wheat farmers the fungus can mean a serious hit to the pocketbook.
From Science Magazine • Feb. 8, 2022
Powdery snow is usually easier to clear and often yields better road traction than slushy snow or a mix with sleet.
From Washington Post • Nov. 29, 2021
Powdery dust stood in deep windrows along fence lines.
From "The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics" by Daniel James Brown
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
