dust
//dʌst//
Forms
- Plural
- dusts
- present (v1)
- dust
- past (v2)
- dusted
- past participle (v3)
- dusted
- present participle
- dusting
- 3rd person singular
- dusts
Definitions
1.Fine particles.
- Astronomers have previously considered that dust produced by the star was obscuring it, causing the steep decline in brightness.
- There is so much dust released during the process of laying ballast that the trackside operator wears a full face mask with respirator.
2.Earth, ground, soil, sediment.
3.The act of cleaning by dusting.
4.The act of sprinkling dust, or a sprinkle of dust itself.
1.Of a bird, to cover itself in sand or dry, dusty earth.
2.To spray or cover (something) with fine powder or liquid, to sprinkle.
- The mother dusted her baby’s bum with talcum powder.
3.To remove dust from.
- The cleaning lady needs a stool to dust the cupboard.
4.To remove dust; to clean by removing dust.
- Dusting always makes me cough.
Frequency
Overall
Uncommon· #2635
By learning goal
- Everyday conversation
- Rare
- General reading & writing
- Uncommon
- Academic
- Rare
- Literature
- Rare
Related words
Synonyms
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”).