1 [mass noun] fine, dry powder consisting of tiny particles of earth or waste matter lying on the ground or on surfaces or carried in the air:the car sent up clouds of dust
[with modifier] any material in the form of tiny particles:coal dust
[in singular] a fine powder:he ground it into a fine dust
[in singular] a cloud of dust.
literary a dead person’s remains:scatter my dust and ashes
literary the mortal human body:the soul, that dwells within your dust
2 [in singular] an act of dusting:a quick dust, to get rid of the cobwebs
ზმნა
Universal
1remove the dust or dirt from the surface of (something) by wiping or brushing it:I broke the vase I had been dustingpick yourself up and dust yourself down [no object]:she washed and dusted and tidied
(dust something down/off) bring something out for use again after a long period of neglect:a number of aircraft will be dusted off and returned to flight
2cover lightly with a powdered substance:roll out on a surface dusted with icing sugar
sprinkle (a powdered substance) on to something:orange powder was dusted over the upper body
3US informal beat up or kill someone:the officers dusted him up a little bit
be done and dusted
informal (of a project) be completely finished or ready.
dust and ashes
used to convey a feeling of great disappointment or disillusion about something:the party would be dust and ashes if he couldn’t come
the dust settles
things quieten down:she hoped that the dust would settle quickly and the episode be forgotten
eat someone's dust
North American informal fall far behind someone in a competitive situation.
gather (or collect) dust
remain unused:some professors let their computers gather dust
leave someone/thing in the dust
surpass someone or something easily:today’s modems leave their predecessors in the dust
