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dust

dust

706 1.0
Tiny, dry particles that collect on surfaces or float in the air
  • noun
  • /dʌst/
translation icon : polvo
  • As soon as we entered the old house, we could see the dust covering the furniture.
  • a cloud of dust
  • a speck of dust
  • dust settles

This is metallic Pixie dust and comex gold.

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Examples

  • The sun was streaming in, and dust motes swam slowly in the hot light.

    Fiction book (1990)
  • So the black stuff you see here is dust, and dust blocks the light.

  • Now that it was March, there were dust storms every afternoon at the camp.

    Fiction book (1990)
  • Everyone was relieved to be away from the dust and flies of the older villages.

    Fiction book (1990)
  • The windows were closed... and the sunshine coming in through the venetian blinds... showed up the dust in the air.

  • The dust in the air made it hard to breathe during the hot summer days.

  • She wiped away the dust from the shelf to reveal the old books underneath.

Synonyms

powder
vsdust
220 1.0

A fine dry material made by crushing and grinding things for skin, medicine or cooking

is loose fine particles that collect naturally and lack intended use
dirt
vsdust
95 1.0

Substance that makes things unclean

is about tiny dry particles that collect on surfaces or float
particulate
vsdust
  • Specialized
23 7.5

A tiny bit of matter in air or water that is often harmful

is the everyday fine dry material that settles on surfaces or floats
particulate matter
vsdust
  • Specialized
4 5.1

Tiny solid or liquid pieces in the air that can harm health

is more general, meaning common fine dry particles that settle or float

Antonyms

26 1.0

Being free from dirt and keeping things tidy

25 3.1

The state of having no dirt or other things mixed in

Idioms

To go far ahead of someone in speed or success

in the dust
  • Informal
11 7.1

Far behind others because someone else is much better

to bite the dust
  • Informal
11 6.8

To stop working or fail completely

to return to dust
  • Literature
1 8.3

To slowly fall apart and disappear over time

1 9.9

To leave quickly so nobody sees you again

1 7.7

Very rare and hard to get

7.4

To be left far behind by someone in a race or game

4.1

A time when things become calm and clear after a big change

End arguments about a decision by giving a clear answer

Do much better than other companies or teams

to see for dust
  • Informal
9.9

To never see someone again after they leave quickly

Leave a place after a bad experience and not return

To delay action or decisions until things become clearer

Compounds

18 2.2

Strong wind that lifts dust and sand into the air and makes it hard to see

11 2.9

A visible cloud of fine dust hanging in the air

4 4.2

Small pieces of gold that you find in rivers or the ground

3 6.3

A small spinning column of air that lifts dust and leaves

3 6.5

A dry area with strong dust storms that ruined farms in the 1930s

3 4.1

A removable paper cover that protects a book and shows a picture or information

angel dust
  • NSFW
2 9.9

An illegal drug that makes you see or hear things that are not real

1 2.7

Fine powder that appears when someone writes on a blackboard

cosmic dust
  • Specialized
1 6.3

Tiny pieces of rock and gas that float in space between stars

Tiny particles that fall after a nuclear explosion or accident and give off harmful radiation

1 2.0

A bag inside a vacuum cleaner that collects dust and dirt when you clean

1 3.1

A removable cover, often plastic or cloth, that protects machines like a printer from dust when not in use

1 2.4

A mop with a long handle and a soft dry head that removes dust from floors

1 2.1

Having a thin layer of dust on it

6.9

Very small ice crystals near the ground that sparkle in cold clear weather

A very fine glitter powder used on skin or crafts to give shine

A paper cover on a book that protects it and shows the title and author

7.0

A small ball of dust, hair, and crumbs that collects under furniture

2.7

A large cloth used to cover furniture when not in use to protect it from dust

5.9

A removable paper cover that protects a book and often has pictures or text

4.7

A long loose piece of clothing you wear over other clothes to protect them from dust

dust contamination
  • Specialized
4.6

Small bits of dust that make a surface dirty or unsafe

A large cloth put over furniture to keep off dust

dust-collector
  • Specialized
4.1

A machine that removes dust from the air in workshops and factories

hell dust
  • NSFW
9.9

A slang word for the illegal drug heroin

interplanetary dust
  • Specialized
7.7

Tiny particles in space that float between the planets

How Much

dust storm
18 2.2
dust cloud
11 2.9
dustheap
4.5
dust
706 1.0
particle
  • Specialized
447 4.2
speck
66 1.3

Surface Forms

dust singular
dusts plural

Etymology

Dust comes from an old German word that meant 'powder' or tiny loose bits, like the German word Staub. So dust today means the fine, dry particles that collect on surfaces or float in the air.