- dust
- 1
/dVst/ noun
1 (U) dry powder consisting of extremely small bits of earth or sand: The truck drove off in a cloud of dust. | the heat and dust of an Indian town2 (U) dry powder consisting of extremely small bits of dirt which you find in buildings on furniture, floors etc: The table was covered with a layer of dust.3 coal dust/gold dust/wood dust etc (U) powder consisting of extremely small bits of coal or gold etc4 a dust the act of dusting something: Can you give the room a quick dust?5 let the dust settle/wait for the dust to settle to allow or wait for a confused situation to become clear6 not see sb for dust BrE informal if you do not see someone for dust, they leave a place very quickly in order to avoid something: Tell him it's his turn to pay for the drinks and you won't see him for dust.—see also: bite the dust bite 1 (7), dusty 2 verb1 (I, T) to clean the dust from a surface by moving something such as a soft cloth across it: Could you dust the dining room?2 also dust off (T) to remove something such as dust or dirt from your clothes by brushing them with your hands: Jim got to his feet and dusted the knees of his trousers.3 (T) to shake a fine powder over something: Dust icing sugar over the pastry.dust sth down phrasal verb (T) to remove something such as dirt or dust from your clothes by brushing them with your hands: Burt stood there dusting down his overalls. | dust yourself down: The horse threw him, but Joe just laughed, picked himself up and dusted himself down. dust sth off phrasal verb (T)1 to clean something by brushing it or wiping it with a cloth: She dusted the snow off Billy's coat.2 to get something ready in order to use it again after not using it for a long time: Investors are at last dusting off their cheque books as the economy recovers.dustbin /'dVstbIn/ noun (C) BrE a large container outside your house, used for holding food waste, empty containers etc; garbage can AmE
Longman dictionary of contemporary English. 2004.