dust
/dʌst/
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
Noun:
- Fine, dry particles of matter: Very small, loose pieces of earth, dirt, or other material that are light enough to be carried by the air.
- A cloud of such particles: A mass of these fine particles visible in the air or on a surface.
- The remains of something destroyed: What is left after something has been completely broken down or disintegrated.
- A state of being covered with such particles: The condition of having a layer of fine particles on a surface.
Verb:
- To remove dust: To clean a surface by wiping or brushing away fine particles.
- To sprinkle with a fine layer: To cover something lightly with a powdery substance.
- To make dusty: To cause dust to rise or settle on something.
Usage Examples
Noun:
- The old bookshelves were covered in a thick layer of dust.
- A cloud of dust rose from the dirt road as the car passed.
- The ancient vase had crumbled to dust over the centuries.
Verb:
- Please dust the furniture before the guests arrive.
- Dust the cake with powdered sugar for decoration.
- The passing trucks dusted the roadside plants with fine dirt.
Advanced Usage
- "to bite the dust": To be defeated, killed, or to fail.
- After a long battle, the old software finally bit the dust.
- "to gather dust": To remain unused for a long time.
- My guitar has been gathering dust in the attic for years.
- "to throw dust in someone's eyes": To deceive or mislead someone.
- The politician tried to throw dust in the voters' eyes with vague promises.
Variants and Related Words
- Dusty (adj): Covered with or resembling dust.
- The attic was dark and dusty.
- Duster (n): A cloth or tool used for removing dust.
- She used a feather duster on the shelves.
Synonyms
- Noun: Dirt, powder, grime, particles, debris.
- Verb: Wipe, clean, sprinkle, powder, sift.
Related Phrasal Verbs
- Dust off: To prepare something old for use again; to remove dust from something.
- I need to dust off my old resume and start applying for jobs.
- Dust down: To brush or wipe dust or dirt from something.
- He stood up and dusted down his trousers after the fall.
Related Idioms
- "Ashes to ashes, dust to dust": A phrase from a burial service, meaning that humans return to the earth after death.
- The ceremony ended with the solemn words, "ashes to ashes, dust to dust."
- "Not see someone for dust": To see someone leave very quickly.
- When he heard the ice cream truck, you wouldn't see him for dust.
Noun
- free microscopic particles of solid material
- astronomers say that the empty space between planets actually contains measurable amounts of dust
- the remains of something that has been destroyed or broken up
- fine powdery material such as dry earth or pollen that can be blown about in the air
- the furniture was covered with dust
Verb
- distribute loosely
- He scattered gun powder under the wagon
- cover with a light dusting of a substance
- dust the bread with flour
- rub the dust over a surface so as to blur the outlines of a shape
- The artist dusted the charcoal drawing down to a faint image
- remove the dust from
- dust the cabinets