dust bunny

American  

noun

1. Slang. a loose, tangled ball of dust, lint, hair, etc., especially as found under a low piece of furniture.

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dust bunny British  

noun

1. a small mass of fluff and dust

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Etymology

Origin of dust bunny

First recorded in 1965–70

Example Sentences

The dust bunny under her bed is a ravenous, monstrous thing.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 12, 2025

"The experts disagreed with each other on what this generic object might be: a hydrogen iceberg, a nitrogen iceberg, a dust bunny, or a hydrogen-water iceberg in the paper that just appeared in Nature."

From Salon • Mar. 26, 2023

But Dory, whose imaginary friends include a talking dust bunny and an affectionate monster, proves more than unfazed.

From New York Times • Apr. 7, 2022

Elaine is the color of a dust bunny and lives by her wits under our stove.

From Washington Post • Aug. 30, 2021

There is nary a dust bunny in sight.

From The New Yorker • Apr. 15, 2019