dʌst n. & v. --n. 1 a finely powdered
earth,
dirt,
etc., lying on
the ground or on surfaces,
and blown about by the wind. b fine
powder of
any material (pollen dust; gold-dust). c a
cloud of dust. 2 a
dead person's
remains (honoured dust). 3
confusion or
turmoil (raised
quite a dust). 4
archaic or
poet. the
mortal human body (we are
all dust). 5 the ground; the earth (kissed the dust). --v. 1 tr. (also absol.)
clear (furniture etc.) of dust etc. by wiping, brushing, etc. 2 tr. a
sprinkle (esp. a cake)
with powder, dust,
sugar, etc. b sprinkle or
strew (sugar, powder, etc.). 3 tr.
make dusty. 4 intr. archaic (of a bird)
take a dust-bath. ødust and ashes
something very disappointing. dust-bath a bird's rolling in dust to
freshen its feathers. dust bowl an
area denuded of
vegetation by
drought or
erosion and reduced to desert. dust
cover 1 = dust-sheet. 2 = dust-jacket. dust
devil S.Afr. a
whirlwind visible as a
column of dust. dust down 1 dust the
clothes of (a person). 2 colloq.
reprimand. 3 = dust
off. dusting-powder 1
talcum powder. 2 any dusting or drying powder. dust-jacket a usu. decorated
paper cover used to
protect a
book from dirt etc. dust off 1
remove the dust from (an
object on
which it
has long
been allowed to settle). 2
use and
enjoy again after a long
period of
neglect. dust-sheet
Brit. a
cloth put
over furniture to protect it from dust. dust-shot the smallest size of shot. dust-storm a
storm with clouds of dust carried in the
air. dust-trap something
on,
in, or
under which dust gathers. dust-up colloq. a
fight. dust-wrapper = dust-jacket. in the dust 1 humiliated. 2 dead.
when the dust settles when things
quieten down. øødustless adj. [OE dust:
cf. LG dunst vapour]