dust
earth or other matter in fine, dry particles.
a cloud of finely powdered earth or other matter in the air.
any finely powdered substance, as sawdust.
the ground; the earth's surface.
the substance to which something, as the dead human body, is ultimately reduced by disintegration or decay; earthly remains.
British.
ashes, refuse, etc.
a low or humble condition.
anything worthless.
disturbance; turmoil.
the mortal body of a human being.
a single particle or grain.
Archaic. money; cash.
to wipe the dust from: to dust a table.
to sprinkle with a powder or dust: to dust rosebushes with an insecticide.
to strew or sprinkle (a powder, dust, or other fine particles): to dust insecticide on a rosebush.
to soil with dust; make dusty.
to wipe dust from furniture, woodwork, etc.
to become dusty.
to apply dust or powder to a plant, one's body, etc.: to dust with an insecticide in late spring.
Idioms about dust
bite the dust,
to be killed, especially in battle; die.
to suffer defeat; be unsuccessful; fail: Another manufacturer has bitten the dust.
dust off,
Baseball. (of a pitcher) to throw the ball purposely at or dangerously close to (the batter).
to take out or prepare for use again, as after a period of inactivity or storage: I'm going to dust off my accounting skills and try to get a job in the finance department.
to beat up badly: The gang of hoodlums dusted off a cop.
leave one in the dust, to overtake and surpass a competitor or one who is less ambitious, qualified, etc.: Don't be so meek, they'll leave you in the dust.
lick the dust,
to be killed; die.
to humble oneself abjectly; grovel: He will resign rather than lick the dust.
make the dust fly, to execute with vigor or speed: We turned them loose on the work, and they made the dust fly.
shake the dust from one's feet, to depart in anger or disdain; leave decisively or in haste, especially from an unpleasant situation: As the country moved toward totalitarianism, many of the intelligentsia shook the dust from their feet.
throw dust in someone's eyes, to mislead; deceive: He threw dust in our eyes by pretending to be a jeweler and then disappeared with the diamonds.
Origin of dust
1Other words from dust
- dustless, adjective
- re·dust, verb (used with object)
- un·dust·ed, adjective
- well-dusted, adjective
Words Nearby dust
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use dust in a sentence
Its dust collection system captures up to 75 percent of dust generated by your project so clean up is easy.
Make every project a breeze with the right miter saw | PopSci Commerce Team | August 26, 2020 | Popular-ScienceNow its frozen gases regularly vaporize under solar heat, releasing clouds of dust that make the jets and streamers visible.
These Images Expose the Dark Side of the Solar System - Issue 89: The Dark Side | Corey S. Powell | August 26, 2020 | NautilusNow research suggests that dust particles can become fomites, too.
Dust can infect animals with flu, raising coronavirus concerns | Erin Garcia de Jesus | August 24, 2020 | Science News For StudentsElectric fields associated with dust lifting could affect the performance and lifetime of hardware on Mars, Grossman says, “although I don’t think it was the critical factor for Phoenix or Opportunity.”
Readers ask about Mars dust storms, Fermi bubbles and more | Science News Staff | August 23, 2020 | Science NewsIt formed some 680 million years ago from a large cloud of gas and dust in the Milky Way.
Milky Way’s tidal forces are shredding a nearby star cluster | Ken Croswell | August 18, 2020 | Science News For Students
Estee Lauder has not crumbled to dust because the perfect brown face of Joan Smalls represents it.
One Vogue Cover Doesn’t Solve Fashion’s Big Race Problem | Danielle Belton | January 2, 2015 | THE DAILY BEASTMoreover, trucks, dust, and boomtown stress are the effects of any large-scale industrial activity.
That is a lot of air pollution, noise, and yet more kicking up of dust.
“I have full faith that this will happen,” Williams says, prepping her fairy dust for a flurry of happy thoughts.
The Cast of ‘Peter Pan Live!’ Knows You Hatewatched ‘The Sound of Music’ | Kevin Fallon | December 2, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTIf we enter with hammer in hand, we may leave with merely dust and rubble on our faces.
In the aperture of the window, amid piles of paper, stood a rickety old table, covered with dust.
Hilda Lessways | Arnold BennettIt was little better than coal dust, and would not carry a ball fifty paces to kill or wound.
Never mind the dust; I've turned it on to make believe we're going tremendously fast.
Davy and The Goblin | Charles E. CarrylHe laid it upon the floor, and took out a plaster mask, and brushing and blowing off the saw-dust, held it up.
Checkmate | Joseph Sheridan Le FanuWhen the smoke and dust cleared away nothing stirred on the whole of that piece of ground.
Gallipoli Diary, Volume I | Ian Hamilton
British Dictionary definitions for dust
/ (dʌst) /
dry fine powdery material, such as particles of dirt, earth or pollen
a cloud of such fine particles
the powdery particles to which something is thought to be reduced by death, decay, or disintegration
the mortal body of man
the corpse of a dead person
the earth; ground
informal a disturbance; fuss (esp in the phrases kick up a dust, raise a dust)
something of little or no worth
informal (in mining parlance) silicosis or any similar respiratory disease
short for gold dust
ashes or household refuse
bite the dust
to fail completely or cease to exist
to fall down dead
dust and ashes something that is very disappointing
leave someone or something in the dust to outdo someone or something comprehensively or with ease: leaving their competitors in the dust
shake the dust off one's feet to depart angrily or contemptuously
throw dust in the eyes of to confuse or mislead
(tr) to sprinkle or cover (something) with (dust or some other powdery substance): to dust a cake with sugar; to dust sugar onto a cake
to remove dust by wiping, sweeping, or brushing
archaic to make or become dirty with dust
Origin of dust
1Derived forms of dust
- dustless, adjective
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Other Idioms and Phrases with dust
In addition to the idiom beginning with dust
- dust off
also see:
- bite the dust
- dry as dust
- in the dust
- make the dust fly
- shake the dust from one's feet
- throw dust in someone's eyes
- watch my dust
- when the dust has settled
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
Browse