# dust

/ˈdəst/ (US) · /dˈʌst/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/dust
Updated: 2026-08-15

## Senses

### 1. fine particles of dirt

noun · CEFR A2

tiny, dry pieces of dirt that look like powder and cover surfaces in a house.

For teachers: fine, dry particles of matter, such as earth or organic debris, that settle on surfaces or float in the air.

- The old books on the shelf were covered in a thick layer of dust.
- Sunlight streaming through the window revealed thousands of tiny dust motes dancing in the stagnant air of the attic.

### 2. remains of the dead

noun · CEFR C1 · Literary

the remains of a human body after many years in the ground.

For teachers: the earthly remains of a deceased human body, often used in religious or funerary contexts.

- The ancient king's body had long since turned to dust in the tomb.
- The priest recited the solemn words 'ashes to ashes, dust to dust' as the casket was lowered into the earth.

### 3. fractal set

noun · CEFR C2 · Technical

a special group of points in math that are separated from each other.

For teachers: a totally disconnected set of points with a fractal structure, such as a Cantor set.

- The professor explained how a Cantor dust is formed by removing segments.
- In the study of dynamical systems, the resulting attractor often takes the form of a Cantor dust with a non-integer dimension.

### 4. to clean surfaces

verb · CEFR A2

to wipe the dirt off furniture or other objects.

For teachers: to remove fine particulate matter from a surface by wiping or brushing. Often used intransitively to describe the general chore.

- I need to dust the living room before the guests arrive.
- She spent the entire morning dusting the mahogany cabinets, ensuring not a single speck of lint remained on the polished wood.

### 5. to sprinkle powder

verb · CEFR B1

to cover something with a light layer of powder, like sugar on a cake.

For teachers: to sprinkle or coat a surface with a fine substance in particulate form.

- Dust the top of the cake with a little icing sugar.
- The chef lightly dusted the scallops with flour before searing them in the hot pan to achieve a golden crust.

### 6. to defeat easily

verb · CEFR C1 · Informal · American English

to beat someone very easily in a game or race.

For teachers: to defeat an opponent decisively or by a significant margin.

- Our team got dusted in the final game of the season.
- The defending champion dusted his rivals in the final sprint, crossing the finish line several seconds ahead of the pack.

### 7. to leave quickly

verb · CEFR C2 · Slang · American English

to run away or leave a place very fast.

For teachers: to depart a location with great haste; to flee.

- As soon as the alarm went off, the thieves dusted.
- Realizing the police were closing in, the suspects dusted out the back exit before the perimeter could be secured.

## Examples

- I need to wipe the dust off the bookshelf.
- The old house was filled with dust after sitting empty for nearly a decade.
- Sunlight filtered through the attic window, illuminating millions of tiny dust motes that danced in the stagnant air above the forgotten trunks.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.