dust


Also found in: Thesaurus, Medical, Acronyms, Idioms, Encyclopedia, Wikipedia.
Related to dust: dust bowl, angel dust, Dust mites

dust

 (dŭst)
n.
1. Fine, dry particles of matter.
2. A cloud of fine, dry particles.
3. Particles of matter regarded as the result of disintegration: fabric that had fallen to dust over the centuries.
4.
a. Earth, especially when regarded as the substance of the grave: "ashes to ashes, dust to dust" (Book of Common Prayer).
b. The surface of the ground.
5. A debased or despised condition.
6. Something of no worth.
7. Chiefly British Rubbish readied for disposal.
8. Confusion; agitation; commotion: won't go back in until the dust settles.
v. dust·ed, dust·ing, dusts
v.tr.
1. To remove dust from by wiping, brushing, or beating: dust the furniture.
2. To sprinkle with a powdery substance: dusted the cookies with sugar; dust crops with fertilizer.
3. To apply or strew in fine particles: dusted talcum powder on my feet.
4. Baseball To deliver a pitch so close to (the batter) as to make the batter back away.
v.intr.
1. To clean by removing dust.
2. To cover itself with dry soil or other particulate matter. Used of a bird.
Phrasal Verb:
dust off
To restore to use: dusted off last year's winter coat.
Idioms:
in the dust
Far behind, as in a race or competition: a marketing strategy that left our competitors in the dust.
make the dust fly
To go about a task with great energy and speed.

[Middle English, from Old English dūst.]
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

dust

(dʌst)
n
1. dry fine powdery material, such as particles of dirt, earth or pollen
2. a cloud of such fine particles
3. the powdery particles to which something is thought to be reduced by death, decay, or disintegration
4.
a. the mortal body of man
b. the corpse of a dead person
5. the earth; ground
6. informal a disturbance; fuss (esp in the phrases kick up a dust, raise a dust)
7. something of little or no worth
8. (Mining & Quarrying) informal (in mining parlance) silicosis or any similar respiratory disease
9. short for gold dust
10. ashes or household refuse
11. bite the dust
a. to fail completely or cease to exist
b. to fall down dead
12. dust and ashes something that is very disappointing
13. leave someone or something in the dust to outdo someone or something comprehensively or with ease: leaving their competitors in the dust.
14. shake the dust off one's feet to depart angrily or contemptuously
15. throw dust in the eyes of to confuse or mislead
vb
16. (Cookery) (tr) to sprinkle or cover (something) with (dust or some other powdery substance): to dust a cake with sugar; to dust sugar onto a cake.
17. to remove dust by wiping, sweeping, or brushing
18. archaic to make or become dirty with dust
[Old English dūst; related to Danish dyst flour dust, Middle Dutch dūst dust, meal dust, Old High German tunst storm]
ˈdustless adj
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

dust

(dʌst)

n.
1. earth or other matter in fine dry particles.
2. a cloud of finely powdered earth or other matter in the air.
3. any finely powdered substance, as sawdust.
4. the ground; the earth's surface.
5. the substance to which something, as the dead human body, is ultimately reduced by disintegration or decay.
6. Brit. ashes, refuse, etc.
7. a low or humble condition.
8. anything worthless.
9. disturbance; turmoil.
10. the mortal body of a human being.
11. a single particle or grain.
12. Archaic. money; cash.
v.t.
13. to wipe the dust from.
14. to sprinkle with a powder or dust: to dust crops with insecticide.
15. to strew or sprinkle (a powder, dust, or other fine particles).
16. to soil with dust; make dusty.
v.i.
17. to wipe dust from furniture, woodwork, etc.
18. to become dusty.
19. to apply dust or powder to a plant, one's body, etc.
20. dust off, to prepare to use again, esp. after inactivity or storage.
Idioms:
bite the dust,
a. to die.
b. to suffer defeat.
c. to become ruined or unusable.
[before 900; Middle English; Old English dūst]
dust′less, adj.
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.

dust


Past participle: dusted
Gerund: dusting

Imperative
dust
dust
Present
I dust
you dust
he/she/it dusts
we dust
you dust
they dust
Preterite
I dusted
you dusted
he/she/it dusted
we dusted
you dusted
they dusted
Present Continuous
I am dusting
you are dusting
he/she/it is dusting
we are dusting
you are dusting
they are dusting
Present Perfect
I have dusted
you have dusted
he/she/it has dusted
we have dusted
you have dusted
they have dusted
Past Continuous
I was dusting
you were dusting
he/she/it was dusting
we were dusting
you were dusting
they were dusting
Past Perfect
I had dusted
you had dusted
he/she/it had dusted
we had dusted
you had dusted
they had dusted
Future
I will dust
you will dust
he/she/it will dust
we will dust
you will dust
they will dust
Future Perfect
I will have dusted
you will have dusted
he/she/it will have dusted
we will have dusted
you will have dusted
they will have dusted
Future Continuous
I will be dusting
you will be dusting
he/she/it will be dusting
we will be dusting
you will be dusting
they will be dusting
Present Perfect Continuous
I have been dusting
you have been dusting
he/she/it has been dusting
we have been dusting
you have been dusting
they have been dusting
Future Perfect Continuous
I will have been dusting
you will have been dusting
he/she/it will have been dusting
we will have been dusting
you will have been dusting
they will have been dusting
Past Perfect Continuous
I had been dusting
you had been dusting
he/she/it had been dusting
we had been dusting
you had been dusting
they had been dusting
Conditional
I would dust
you would dust
he/she/it would dust
we would dust
you would dust
they would dust
Past Conditional
I would have dusted
you would have dusted
he/she/it would have dusted
we would have dusted
you would have dusted
they would have dusted
Collins English Verb Tables © HarperCollins Publishers 2011

dust

To sprinkle lightly with flour or sugar.
Dictionary of Unfamiliar Words by Diagram Group Copyright © 2008 by Diagram Visual Information Limited
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Noun1.dust - fine powdery material such as dry earth or pollen that can be blown about in the airdust - fine powdery material such as dry earth or pollen that can be blown about in the air; "the furniture was covered with dust"
particulate, particulate matter - a small discrete mass of solid or liquid matter that remains individually dispersed in gas or liquid emissions (usually considered to be an atmospheric pollutant)
chalk dust - dust resulting from writing with a piece of chalk; "chalk dust covered the teacher's hands"
fallout, radioactive dust - the radioactive particles that settle to the ground after a nuclear explosion
2.dust - the remains of something that has been destroyed or broken updust - the remains of something that has been destroyed or broken up
rubbish, trash, scrap - worthless material that is to be disposed of
slack - dust consisting of a mixture of small coal fragments and coal dust and dirt that sifts out when coal is passed over a sieve
3.dust - free microscopic particles of solid material; "astronomers say that the empty space between planets actually contains measurable amounts of dust"
interplanetary dust - microscopic particles in the interplanetary medium
material, stuff - the tangible substance that goes into the makeup of a physical object; "coal is a hard black material"; "wheat is the stuff they use to make bread"
Verb1.dust - remove the dust from; "dust the cabinets"
clean, make clean - make clean by removing dirt, filth, or unwanted substances from; "Clean the stove!"; "The dentist cleaned my teeth"
2.dust - 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"
smudge, smutch, smear, blur - make a smudge on; soil by smudging
3.dust - cover with a light dusting of a substance; "dust the bread with flour"
cover - provide with a covering or cause to be covered; "cover her face with a handkerchief"; "cover the child with a blanket"; "cover the grave with flowers"
4.dust - distribute loosely; "He scattered gun powder under the wagon"
spray - scatter in a mass or jet of droplets; "spray water on someone"; "spray paint on the wall"
spray - be discharged in sprays of liquid; "Water sprayed all over the floor"
spatter, splatter, plash, swash, splash, splosh - dash a liquid upon or against; "The mother splashed the baby's face with water"
splash, sprinkle, splosh - cause (a liquid) to spatter about, especially with force; "She splashed the water around her"
discharge - pour forth or release; "discharge liquids"
bespangle - dot or sprinkle with sparkling or glittering objects
aerosolize, aerosolise - disperse as an aerosol; "The bacteria suspension was aerosolized"
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.

dust

noun
1. grime, grit, powder, powdery dirt I could see a thick layer of dust on the stairs.
2. earth, ground, soil, dirt, clay Your trousers will get dirty if you sit down in the dust.
3. particles, soot, smut, fine fragments The air was black with coal dust.
verb
1. remove dust from, clean, sweep, brush, wipe, mop I dusted and polished the living room.
2. sprinkle, cover, powder, spread, spray, scatter, sift, dredge Lightly dust the fish with flour.
bite the dust (Informal) fail, flop (informal), fall through, be unsuccessful, go down, founder, fall flat, come to nothing, fizzle out (informal), come unstuck, run aground, come to grief, come a cropper (informal), go up in smoke, go belly-up (slang), come to naught, not make the grade (informal), meet with disaster Her first marriage bit the dust because of irreconcilable differences.
Related words
fear amathophobia
Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

dust

verb
To scatter or release in drops or small particles:
The American Heritage® Roget's Thesaurus. Copyright © 2013, 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Translations
غُبارغُبَارمَسْحوق، غُبار، ذرّاتيُنَظِّف الغُباريُنَظِّفُ مِنْ الغُبَار
prachutřít prachoprášit
støvstøve afpulversmuld
pölypölyttääpyyhkiä pölyttomutomuttaa
brisati prašinuprahprašina
por
debuduli
duft, salli, rykòurrka afryk
ほこりほこりを払う
먼지먼지를 털다
dulkėsdulkėtasdulkėtumasdulkių šluostasknygos aplankas
gold-dustputekļislaucīt putekļuszāģu skaidaszelta smiltis
utrieť prach
prah
prah
dammdamma
ปัดฝุ่นฝุ่น
bụiphủi bụi

dust

[dʌst]
A. N
1. (in house, on ground) → polvo m
there was thick dust; the dust lay thickhabía una gruesa capa de polvo
to raise a cloud of dustlevantar una nube de polvo
to raise a lot of dust (lit) → levantar mucho polvo (fig) (= cause a scandal) → levantar una polvareda
to kick up or raise a dustarmar un escándalo
if you ask for a volunteer, you won't see her for dust!¡en cuanto pides un voluntario pone los pies en polvorosa!
when the dust has settledcuando haya pasado la tempestad
to throw dust in sb's eyesengañar a algn
see also ash 2 A
see bite B1
see also dry A6
see also gather A1
2. (= act of dusting) to give sth a dustquitar el polvo a algo
she gave the ornaments a quick dustle quitó un poco el polvo a los adornos
B. VT
1. [+ furniture] → quitar el polvo a or de; [+ room] → limpiar el polvo a or de
it's done and dusted (Brit) → todo ha terminado
the deal is done and dustedel trato está cerrado
2. (with flour, icing sugar) → espolvorear
to dust o.s. with talcponerse talco
see also dust down, dust off
C. VI (= clean up) → limpiar el polvo
D. CPD dust bowl N (Geog) terreno erosionado por el viento
dust cloth N (US) → trapo m del polvo
dust cover N [of book] → sobrecubierta f; (for furniture) → guardapolvo m
dust devil Nremolino m de polvo
dust jacket Nsobrecubierta f
dust sheet N (Brit) → guardapolvo m, funda f
dust storm Nvendaval m de polvo, tormenta f de polvo
dust down VT + ADV
1. (lit) [+ furniture, shelf] → quitar el polvo a or de, desempolvar
he stood and dusted down his suitse levantó y se sacudió el polvo del traje
2. (fig) → desempolvar
they dusted down a project that had been shelved years agodesempolvaron un proyecto que había sido aparcado hacía años
to dust o.s. downsobreponerse
he dusted himself down and started againse sobrepuso y volvió a empezar
dust off VT + ADV = dust down
dust out VT + ADV [+ box, cupboard] → quitar el polvo a or de
Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

dust

[ˈdʌst]
npoussière f
to bite the dust (= fail) → ne pas faire long feu
when the dust settles (= when things are calmer) → quand les choses se seront tassées
to gather dust (= be unused) → moisir dans un coin
vt
[+ furniture] → essuyer, épousseter
I dusted the shelves → J'ai épousseté les étagères.
(= cover with a fine layer) to dust sth with sth → saupoudrer qch de qch
dust off
vt sep
(fig) (= re-use) [+ phrase, technique] → dépoussiérer
(= reconsider) [+ project] → reconsidérer
to dust o.s. off (= recover) → se reprendredust bag nsac m à poussière (d'aspirateur)
Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

dust

n no pl
Staub m; covered in duststaubbedeckt; to make or raise a lot of dust (lit, fig)eine Menge Staub aufwirbeln; to gather dust (lit, fig)verstauben; a speck of dustein Körnchen ntStaub; clouds of interstellar duststaubförmige interstellare Materie; when the dust had settled (fig)als sich die Wogen wieder etwas geglättet hatten; we’ll let the dust settle first (fig)wir warten, bis sich die Wogen geglättet haben ? bite VT a
to give something a dustetw abstauben
vt
furnitureabstauben; roomStaub wischen in (+dat); it’s (all) done and dusted (Brit fig inf) → das ist (alles) unter Dach und Fach
(Cook) → bestäuben
(Police) to dust something for printsetw zur Abnahme von Fingerabdrücken einstauben
vi (housewife etc)Staub wischen; she spent the morning dustingsie verbrachte den Morgen mit Staubwischen

dust

:
dust bag
nStaubbeutel m
dust-bath
nStaubbad nt
dustbin
n (Brit) → Mülltonne f
dustbin man
n (Brit) = dustman
dust bowl
nTrockengebiet nt
dustcart
n (Brit) → Müllwagen m
dust cloud
nStaubwolke f
dustcloth
nStaubtuch nt, → Staublappen m
dust coat
nKittel m
dust cover
n (on book) → (Schutz)umschlag m; (on furniture) → Schonbezug m
dust devil

dust

:
dust jacket
n(Schutz)umschlag m
dustman
n (Brit) → Müllmann m; the dustmen come on Fridaysfreitags ist Müllabfuhr
dustpan
nKehr- or Müllschaufel f
dust-proof
adjstaubdicht
dustsheet
n (Brit) → Tuch nt (zum Abdecken von Möbeln)
dust storm
nStaubsturm m
dust trap
nStaubfänger m
dust-up
n (dated inf)Streit m, → (handgreifliche) Auseinandersetzung
Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

dust

[dʌst]
1. n (on furniture etc) → polvere f
2. vt & vi (furniture) → spolverare
she dusted the cake with sugar → ha spolverato il dolce di zucchero
dust off vt + advrispolverare
Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995

dust

(dast) noun
1. fine grains of earth, sand etc. The furniture was covered in dust.
2. anything in the form of fine powder. gold-dust; sawdust.
verb
to free (furniture etc) from dust. She dusts (the house) once a week.
ˈduster noun
a cloth for removing dust.
ˈdusty adjective
a dusty floor.
ˈdustiness noun
dustbin (ˈdasbin) noun
(American ˈgarbage-can or ˈtrash-can) a container for household rubbish.
dust-jacket (ˈdasdʒӕkit) noun
the loose paper cover of a book.
dustman (ˈdasmən) noun
a person employed to remove household rubbish.
dustpan (ˈdaspӕn) noun
a type of flat container with a handle, used for holding dust swept from the floor.
ˈdust-up noun
a quarrel. There was a bit of a dust-up between the two men.
dust down
to remove the dust from with a brushing action. She picked herself up and dusted herself down.
throw dust in someone's eyes
to try to deceive someone.
Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.

dust

غُبَار, يُنَظِّفُ مِنْ الغُبَار oprášit, prach støv, støve af Staub, Staub wischen ξεσκονίζω, σκόνη desempolvar, polvo, quitar el polvo pöly, pyyhkiä pölyt épousseter, poussière brisati prašinu, prašina polvere, spolverare ほこり, ほこりを払う 먼지, 먼지를 털다 stof, stoffen støv, tørke støv kurz, zakurzyć espanar, limpar o pó, poeira пылиться, пыль damm, damma ปัดฝุ่น, ฝุ่น toz, toz almak bụi, phủi bụi 灰尘, 除灰
Multilingual Translator © HarperCollins Publishers 2009

dust

n. polvo; [mortal remains] cenizas, restos mortales;
___ countconteo de partículas de ___ en el aire.
English-Spanish Medical Dictionary © Farlex 2012

dust

n polvo; house — polvo doméstico or casero, polvo de la casa
English-Spanish/Spanish-English Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2006 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
References in classic literature ?
'The man,' Mortimer goes on, addressing Eugene, 'whose name is Harmon, was only son of a tremendous old rascal who made his money by Dust.'
The tiled floor was thick with dust, and a remarkable array of miscellaneous objects was shrouded in the same grey covering.
She was splendid and robust, and had never appeared handsomer than in the old blue gown, with a red silk handkerchief knotted at random around her head to protect her hair from the dust. She was mounted upon a high stepladder, unhooking a picture from the wall when he entered.
My throat and eyes are getting full of dust and I'm as thirsty as a fish!"
Back and forth they pranced kicking up a cloud of dust and gasping for fresh air.
But on the road, the highroad along which the troops marched, there was no such freshness even at night or when the road passed through the forest; the dew was imperceptible on the sandy dust churned up more than six inches deep.
-- for we must." In terror she spoke; letting sink her Wings till they trailed in the dust -- In agony sobbed, letting sink her Plumes till they trailed in the dust -- Till they sorrowfully trailed in the dust.
Should one lay hold of them, then do they raise a dust like flour-sacks, and involuntarily: but who would divine that their dust came from corn, and from the yellow delight of the summer fields?
Most of the fugitives at that hour were mounted on cycles, but there were soon motor cars, hansom cabs, and carriages hurrying along, and the dust hung in heavy clouds along the road to St.
"But it's all dust in my hands," she thought sadly.
For, in these times, as the mender of roads worked, solitary, in the dust, not often troubling himself to reflect that dust he was and to dust he must return, being for the most part too much occupied in thinking how little he had for supper and how much more he would eat if he had it--in these times, as he raised his eyes from his lonely labour, and viewed the prospect, he would see some rough figure approaching on foot, the like of which was once a rarity in those parts, but was now a frequent presence.
He was possessed by a madness to live, to thrill, "to squirm my little space in the cosmic dust whence I came," as he phrased it once himself.