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.
The way light is emitted at different angles depends on surface texture, which can reveal whether the surface is smooth rock or rough, powdery material.
From Science Daily • May 5, 2026
This is how you prevent the flat, powdery taste that comes from sprinkling seasoning over finished sauce.
From Salon • Apr. 7, 2026
Young people around the world are snatching Adidas Tang-style jackets off the shelves, bingeing on Chinese micro-dramas and experimenting with powdery make-up looks flaunted by Chinese girls and women on Douyin, China's version of TikTok.
From BBC • Feb. 14, 2026
Other signs are subtle: ground covered with powdery insulation from the lines.
From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 29, 2025
She had big arms and a solid torso, light brown skin, and a dusting of powdery blush on her cheeks.
From "Genuine Fraud" by E. Lockhart
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.
