powdery

[pou-duh-ree]

adjective

1. consisting of or resembling powder.

   powdery sand; powdery clouds.

2. easily reduced to powder.

   powdery plaster.

3. sprinkled or covered with or as with powder.

   flowers powdery with pollen.

Word History and Origins

Origin of powdery¹

First recorded in 1400–50, powdery is from the late Middle English word powdry. See powder ¹, -y ¹

Example Sentences

That makes “Folktales” decidedly more powdery than densely packed — it’s all ruddy cheeks, slo-mo camaraderie and the healing power of steering a dog sled through breathtaking terrain.

From Los Angeles Times

But many have found hay that is crisp and dry, even powdery.

From BBC

This is stored inside a pill that can pass through the stomach unscathed and reach the intestines where it dissolves to release its poopy powdery payload.

From BBC

Wind had scoured away most of the powdery snow, and rain had left a slick, brittle crust.

From Los Angeles Times

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

Related Words

• chalky 
• crumbly 
• dusty 
• grainy 
• gravelly