Dust (noun) Definition, Meaning & Examples

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noun
  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; earthly remains.
  6. British.
  7. a low or humble condition.
  8. anything worthless.
  9. disturbance; turmoil.
  10. gold dust.
  11. the mortal body of a human being.
  12. a single particle or grain.
  13. money; cash.
verb (used with object)
  1. to wipe the dust from: to dust a table.
  2. to sprinkle with a powder or dust: to dust rosebushes with an insecticide.
  3. to strew or sprinkle (a powder, dust, or other fine particles): to dust insecticide on a rosebush.
  4. to soil with dust; make dusty.
verb (used without object)
  1. to wipe dust from furniture, woodwork, etc.
  2. to become dusty.
  3. to apply dust or powder to a plant, one's body, etc.: to dust with an insecticide in late spring.
Idioms
  1. bite the dust,
    • to be killed, especially in battle; die.
    • to suffer defeat; be unsuccessful; fail: Another manufacturer has bitten the dust.
  2. dust off,
    • (of a pitcher) to throw the ball purposely at or dangerously close to (the batter).
    • to take out or prepare for use again, as after a period of inactivity or storage: I'm going to dust off my accounting skills and try to get a job in the finance department.
    • to beat up badly: The gang of hoodlums dusted off a cop.
  3. to overtake and surpass a competitor or one who is less ambitious, qualified, etc.: Don't be so meek, they'll leave you in the dust.
  4. lick the dust,
    • to be killed; die.
    • to humble oneself abjectly; grovel: He will resign rather than lick the dust.
  5. to execute with vigor or speed: We turned them loose on the work, and they made the dust fly.
  6. to depart in anger or disdain; leave decisively or in haste, especially from an unpleasant situation: As the country moved toward totalitarianism, many of the intelligentsia shook the dust from their feet.
  7. to mislead; deceive: He threw dust in our eyes by pretending to be a jeweler and then disappeared with the diamonds.
noun
  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
    • the mortal body of man
    • the corpse of a dead person
  5. the earth; ground
  6. a disturbance; fuss (esp in the phrases kick up a dust, raise a dust)
  7. something of little or no worth
  8. (in mining parlance) silicosis or any similar respiratory disease
  9. short for gold dust
  10. ashes or household refuse
  11. bite the dust
    • to fail completely or cease to exist
    • to fall down dead
  12. something that is very disappointing
  13. to outdo someone or something comprehensively or with ease
  14. to depart angrily or contemptuously
  15. to confuse or mislead
verb
  1. to sprinkle or cover (something) with (dust or some other powdery substance)
  2. to remove dust by wiping, sweeping, or brushing
  3. to make or become dirty with dust
Dust (noun) Definition, Meaning & Examples

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