Definition of DUST

dust

Plural: dusts

Noun

  • fine powdery material such as dry earth or pollen that can be blown about in the air
    • "the furniture was covered with dust"
  • the remains of something that has been destroyed or broken up
  • free microscopic particles of solid material
    • "astronomers say that the empty space between planets actually contains measurable amounts of dust"
  • Fine particles.
  • Fine, dry particles of matter found in the air and covering the surface of objects, typically consisting of soil lifted up by the wind, pollen, hair, etc.
  • Fine particles.
  • Any substance reduced to fine particles; powder.
  • Fine particles.
  • Submicron particles in outer space, largely silicates and carbon compounds, that contribute greatly to extinction at visible wavelengths.
  • Fine particles.
  • Disintegration of a solid, like silica.
  • Fine particles.
  • Flour.
  • Fine particles.
  • A single fine, dry particle of earth or other material; grain of dust.
  • The act of cleaning by dusting.
  • The act of sprinkling dust, or a sprinkle of dust itself.
  • Earth, ground, soil, sediment.
  • The earth as the resting place of the dead.
  • The earthy remains of bodies once alive; the remains of the human body.
  • The substance of the human body or mortal frame.
  • Something worthless.
  • A low or mean condition.
  • Rubbish, garbage, refuse.
  • cash; money (in reference to gold dust).
  • A cloud of dust.
  • A tumult, disturbance, commotion, uproar.
  • A fight or row.
  • A totally disconnected set of points with a fractal structure.
  • Tiny amounts of cryptocurrency left over after a transaction due to rounding error.

Verb

  • remove the dust from
    • "dust the cabinets"
  • rub the dust over a surface so as to blur the outlines of a shape
    • "The artist dusted the charcoal drawing down to a faint image"
  • cover with a light dusting of a substance
    • "dust the bread with flour"
  • distribute loosely
  • To remove dust from.
  • To remove dust; to clean by removing dust.
  • To make dusty, to soil with dust.
  • Of a bird, to cover itself in sand or dry, dusty earth.
  • To spray or cover (something) with fine powder or liquid, to sprinkle.
  • To sprinkle (a substance) in the form of dust.
  • To leave quickly; to rush off.
  • To drink up quickly; to toss off.
  • To reduce to a fine powder; to pulverize, to levigate.
  • To strike, beat, thrash.
  • To defeat badly, to thrash.
  • To kill.
  • To deliberately pitch a ball close to (a batter); to brush back.
  • To attempt to identify the owner of (a cryptocurrency wallet) by sending tiny amounts of cryptocurrency.
  • -ED, -ING, -S to make free of dust (minute particles of matter)

Examples

  • "Dusting always makes me cough."
  • "The cleaning lady needs a stool to dust the cupboard."
  • "The mother dusted her baby’s bum with talcum powder."
  • "to raise, or kick up, a dust"

Origin / Etymology

From Middle English dust, doust, from Old English dūst (“dust, dried earth reduced to powder; other dry material reduced to powder”), from the fusion of Proto-Germanic *dustą (“dust”) and *dunstą (“mist, dust, evaporation”), both from Proto-Indo-European *dʰewh₂- (“to smoke, raise dust”).
Cognate with Scots dust, dist (“dust”), Dutch duist (“pollen, dust”) and dons (“down, fuzz”), German Dust (“dust”) and Dunst (“haze”), Swedish dust (“dust”), Icelandic dust (“dust”), Latin fūmus (“smoke, steam”). Also related to Swedish dun (“down, fluff”), Icelandic dúnn (“down, fluff”). See down.

Scrabble Score: 5

dust: valid Scrabble (US) TWL word
dust: valid Scrabble Word in Merriam-Webster MW Dictionary
dust: valid Scrabble Word in International Collins CSW Dictionary

Words With Friends Score: 6

dust is a valid Words With Friends word