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.
Eventually, Interlune aims to place autonomous, regolith-shovoelling excavators on the moon to scoop up the powdery material and process it.
From BBC ● Jun. 16, 2026
The plan for the Honduras trip was simple: Company meetings and team building by powdery soft beaches during the day and island fun at night, at a cost of roughly $500,000 to the company.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 6, 2026
When tested on wheat, these compounds helped protect against fungal infections such as powdery mildew.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 12, 2025
And, late last year a Finnish company called Solar Foods completed requirements, outlined by the Food and Drug Administration, that allow the company to sell a powdery protein made of pasteurized bacteria.
From Salon ● Jan. 29, 2025
He pushed himself off the floor with a grunt and brushed the dust from the knees of his jeans, creating a fine, powdery cloud around his legs.
From "Anthem of a Reluctant Prophet" by Joanne Proulx
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.
