dust
Language: English
Part of speech: noun
Pronunciation: ipa: /dʌst/
rhymes: -ʌst
homophone: dost
homophone: dussed
Forms: form: dusts
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”).
Cognate with Scots dust, dist (“dust”), Dutch duist (“pollen, dust”) and dons (“down, fuzz”), German Dust (“dust”) and Dunst (“haze”), Swedish dust (“dust”), Icelandic dust (“dust”), Latin fūmus (“smoke, steam”). Also related to Swedish dun (“down, fluff”), Icelandic dúnn (“down, fluff”). See down.
Senses: examples: text: There is so much dust released during the process of laying ballast that the trackside operator wears a full face mask with respirator.
ref: 2022 September 7, “East-West track laying heads westwards”, in RAIL, number 965, page 37, photo caption:
glosses: Fine particles.
Fine, dry particles of matter found in the air and covering the surface of objects, typically consisting of soil lifted up by the wind, pollen, hair, etc.
glosses: Fine particles.
Any substance reduced to fine particles; powder.
examples: text: Astronomers have previously considered that dust produced by the star was obscuring it, causing the steep decline in brightness.
ref: 2020 June 29, Paun Rincon, “Betelgeuse: Nearby ‘supernova’ star’s dimming explained”, in BBC News:
topics: astronomy
natural-sciences
glosses: Fine particles.
Submicron particles in outer space, largely silicates and carbon compounds, that contribute greatly to extinction at visible wavelengths.
glosses: Fine particles.
Disintegration of a solid, like silica.
qualifier: occupational health
glosses: Fine particles.
Flour.
examples: text: to touch a dust of England’s ground
ref: 1595 December 9 (first known performance), William Shakespeare, “The Life and Death of King Richard the Second”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies: Published According to the True Originall Copies (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene iii]:
glosses: Fine particles.
A single fine, dry particle of earth or other material; grain of dust.
examples: text: […]once they start school, I mean you can do a room out one day, the next day it only needs a dust, doesn’t it?
ref: 2010, Joan Busfield, Michael Paddon, Thinking About Children: Sociology and Fertility in Post-War England, page 150:
glosses: The act of cleaning by dusting.
glosses: The act of sprinkling dust, or a sprinkle of dust itself.
examples: text: But I should turn mine ears and hear
The moanings of the homeless sea,
⁠The sound of streams that swift or slow
⁠Draw down Æonian hills, and sow
The dust of continents to be; […]
ref: 1850, [Alfred, Lord Tennyson], “Canto XXXV”, in In Memoriam, London: Edward Moxon, […], →OCLC, page 54:
glosses: Earth, ground, soil, sediment.
examples: text: For now shall I sleep in the dust.
ref: 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Job 7:21:
glosses: The earth as the resting place of the dead.
examples: text: For I will leave my relics in your land, / And you may carve a shrine about my dust, / And burn a fragrant lamp before my bones, / When I am gather’d to the glorious saints.
ref: 1833 (date written), Alfred Tennyson, “St. Simeon Stylites”, in Poems. […], volume II, London: Edward Moxon, […], published 1842, →OCLC, page 62:
glosses: The earthy remains of bodies once alive; the remains of the human body.
glosses: The substance of the human body or mortal frame.
examples: text: And by the merit of vile gold, dross, dust.
ref: c. 1596 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Life and Death of King Iohn”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene i]:
glosses: Something worthless.
examples: text: [God] raiseth up the poor out of the dust.
ref: 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, 1 Samuel 2:8:
glosses: A low or mean condition.
glosses: Rubbish, garbage, refuse.
examples: text: ‘And what do you ask for it?’ ‘Fifteen thousand dollars.’ ‘I’ll take it.’ ‘Then down with the dust.’
ref: 1852, George Colvocoresses, Four Years in a Government Exploring Expedition:
glosses: cash; money (in reference to gold dust).
glosses: A cloud of dust.
examples: text: to raise, or kick up, a dust
glosses: A tumult, disturbance, commotion, uproar.
glosses: A fight or row.
topics: mathematics
sciences
glosses: A totally disconnected set of points with a fractal structure.
topics: business
cryptocurrencies
cryptocurrency
finance
glosses: Tiny amounts of cryptocurrency left over after a transaction due to rounding error.
Derived terms: angel dust
antidust
Asian dust
bark dust
beat the dust
bedust
bite the dust
brake dust
bread dust
brickdust
bull dust
bulldust
bust the dust
Cantor dust
catch dust
chalkdust
coal dust
coaldust
collect dust
come down with one's dust
come down with the dust
copple dust
cosmic dust
cupel-dust
dedust
devil's dust
dhobi dust
diamond dust
down with one's dust
down with the dust
dry as dust
dustable
dust bag
dustbag
dustball
dustbath
dust bath
dustbathe
dustbin
dust bin
dustboard
Dust Bowl
dustbowl
dust bowl
dustbox
dust box
dust-brand
dustbrush
dustbug
dust bunny
dust buster
dust cap
dust cart
dustcart
dust cloth
dustcloth
dustcloud
dustcoat
dust-collector
dust-colored
dust-coloured
dust contractor
dustcover
dust cover
dust devil
dustfall
dust filter
dust-free
dustfree
dusthead
dustheap
dust heap of history
Dust-Hole
dust hole
dusthole
dust jacket
dust kitten
dust kitty
dustless
dustlike
dustling
dustman
dust mask
dustmat
dust mite
dustmote
dust mouse
dust-off
dustout
dust-out
dustpan
dustperson
dustpile
dust plug
dustproof
dustrag
dust-ridden
dust ruffle
dust settles
dustsheet
dust shot
duststorm
dust storm
dust-tight
dust trap
dust-up
dustwoman
dustwrapper
dusty
eat my dust
eat someone's dust
eraser dust
extraterrestrial dust
fairy dust
feather-dust
fig-dust
fugitive dust
gather dust
gold dust
gold-dust
goofer dust
heifer dust
jack-of-the-dust
kick up dust
kiss the dust
lay the dust
leave for dust
leave someone in the dust
lick the dust
magic dust
make the dust fly
malt dust
microdust
milldust
monkey dust
moondust
nanodust
nondust
not see someone for dust
organic dust toxic syndrome
overdust
pixie dust
return to dust
sanderdust
sawdust
shake off the dust from one's feet
shake the dust from one's feet
shake the dust from one's sandals
sleepy-dust
sleepy dust
small rain lays great dust
smart dust
smartdust
smelter dust
space dust
spy dust
stardust
termination dust
the dust settles
throw dust in someone's eyes
tobacco dust juice
turn to dust
van Stockum dust
whoofle dust
woofle dust
yarn dust
zodiacal dust