Dust

• POS: Noun, Verb (transitive)

OXFORD DICTIONARY

Dust, n. & v.
--n.
1 a finely powdered earth, dirt, etc., lying on the ground or on surfaces, and blown about by the wind. b fine powder of any material (pollen dust; gold-dust). c a cloud of dust.
2 a dead person's remains (honoured dust).
3 confusion or turmoil (raised quite a dust).
4 archaic or poet. the mortal human body (we are all dust).
5 the ground; the earth (kissed the dust).
--v.
1 tr. (also absol.) clear (furniture etc.) of dust etc. by wiping, brushing, etc.
2 tr. a sprinkle (esp. a cake) with powder, dust, sugar, etc. b sprinkle or strew (sugar, powder, etc.).
3 tr. make dusty.
4 intr. archaic (of a bird) take a dust-bath.

Idiom

dust and ashes something very disappointing. dust-bath a bird's rolling in dust to freshen its feathers. dust bowl an area denuded of vegetation by drought or erosion and reduced to desert. dust cover
1 = dust-sheet.
2 = dust-jacket. dust devil S.Afr. a whirlwind visible as a column of dust.
dust down
1 dust the clothes of (a person).
2 colloq. reprimand.
3 = dust off. dusting-powder 1 talcum powder.
2 any dusting or drying powder. dust-jacket a usu. decorated paper cover used to protect a book from dirt etc.
dust off
1 remove the dust from (an object on which it has long been allowed to settle).
2 use and enjoy again after a long period of neglect. dust-sheet Brit. a cloth put over furniture to protect it from dust. dust-shot the smallest size of shot. dust-storm a storm with clouds of dust carried in the air. dust-trap something on, in, or under which dust gathers. dust-up colloq. a fight. dust-wrapper = dust-jacket.
in the dust
1 humiliated.
2 dead. when the dust settles when things quieten down.

Derivative

dustless adj.

Etymology

OE dust: cf. LG dunst vapour

THESAURUS

Dust

acres, air, air pollution, alluvion, alluvium, altercation, arable land, ashes, attritus, bamboozle, barrel, beat, beeline, begrime, bemire, bemud, besmoke, besprinkle, bickering, biscuit, bleach, body, bone, bones, bowdlerize, bran, bread, bubble, cadaver, carcass, carrion, chaff, chicane, chip, clamjamfry, clay, clean, clean out, clean up, cleanse, clear out, clobber, clod, cobweb, collateral, cork, corpse, corpus delicti, cosmic dust, cracker, crowbait, crumb, crumble, crust, culm, dead body, dead man, dead person, deadwood, debris, decedent, delouse, depurate, deterge, dirt, dirty, dirty up, dishwater, dispute, dot, down, draff, dredge, dregs, drub, dry bones, dry land, dry-clean, dust ball, dust off, dustup, earth, efflorescence, embalmed corpse, ether, expurgate, fairy, falling-out, fallout, farina, feather, filings, flimflam, flit, flour, flue, fluff, fly, foam, food for worms, fool, fracas, freehold, freshen, froth, fuzz, garbage, gash, glebe, gossamer, grassland, grime, grits, groats, ground, gull, hassle, hasten, hoax, hogwash, hoodwink, hotfoot, husks, hustle, junk, kittens, lambaste, land, landholdings, larrup, late lamented, leavings, lees, lick, lint, lithosphere, litter, lumber, lustrate, marginal land, marl, meal, mire, mold, mortal remains, mote, muck, muck up, mud, muddy, mummification, mummy, offal, offscourings, organic remains, orts, overwhelm, parchment, parings, pepper, potsherds, powder, powdering, purge, purify, pussies, raff, rags, raspings, real estate, real property, reform, refuse, region, regolith, relics, reliquiae, remains, riffraff, row, rubbish, rubble, run, run-in, sawdust, scavenge, scourings, scrap, scrap iron, scraps, scum, shards, shavings, shellac, shoddy, skeleton, slack, slag, slime, slop, slops, smoke, smut, sod, soil, soot, spatter, speck, speckle, speed, splatter, sponge, spot, sprinkle, sprinkling, spruce, spume, steam-clean, stick, stiff, straw, stubble, stud, subaerial deposit, subsoil, sweep out, sweepings, sweeten, swill, tares, tenement of clay, terra, terra firma, terrain, territory, the country, the dead, the deceased, the defunct, the departed, the loved one, thistledown, thrash, tidy, topsoil, trash, trick, truck, wastage, waste, waste matter, wastepaper, weeds, whiten, wipe, wipe off, wipe out, wipe up, woodland

ROGET THESAURUS

Dust

Uncleanness

N uncleanness, impurity, immundity, immundicity, impurity, defilement, contamination, defoedation, soilure, soiliness, abomination, leaven, taint, tainture, fetor, decay, putrescence, putrefaction, corruption, mold, must, mildew, dry rot, mucor, rubigo, slovenry, slovenliness, squalor, dowdy, drab, slut, malkin, slattern, sloven, slammerkin, slammock, slummock, scrub, draggle-tail, mudlark, dust-man, sweep, beast, dirt, filth, soil, slop, dust, cobweb, flue, smoke, soot, smudge, smut, grit, grime, raff, sossle, sozzle, sordes, dregs, grounds, lees, argol, sediment, settlement heeltap, dross, drossiness, mother, precipitate, scoriae, ashes, cinders, recrement, slag, scum, froth, hogwash, ditchwater, dishwater, bilgewater, rinsings, cheeseparings, sweepings, offscourings, outscourings, off scum, caput mortuum, residuum, sprue, fecula, clinker, draff, scurf, scurfiness, exuviae, morphea, fur, furfur, dandruff, tartar, riffraff, vermin, louse, flea, bug, chinch, mud, mire, quagmire, alluvium, silt, sludge, slime, slush, slosh, sposh, spawn, offal, gurry, lientery, garbage, carrion, excreta, slough, peccant humor, pus, matter, suppuration, lienteria, faeces, feces, excrement, ordure, dung, crap, shit, sewage, sewerage, muck, coprolite, guano, manure, compost, dunghill, colluvies, mixen, midden, bog, laystall, sink, privy, jakes, toilet, john, head, cess, cesspool, sump, sough, cloaca, latrines, drain, sewer, common sewer, Cloacina, dust hole, sty, pigsty, lair, den, Augean stable, sink of corruption, slum, rookery, dirty, filthy, grimy, unclean, impure, soiled, not to be handled with kid gloves, dusty, snuffy, smutty, sooty, smoky, thick, turbid, dreggy, slimy, mussy, slovenly, untidy, messy, uncleanly, unkempt, sluttish, dowdy, draggle-tailed, uncombed, unscoured, unswept, unwiped, unwashed, unstrained, unpurified, squalid, lutose, slammocky, slummocky, sozzly, nasty, coarse, foul, offensive, abominable, beastly, reeky, reechy, fetid, decayed, moldy, musty, mildewed, rusty, moth-eaten, mucid, rancid, weak, bad, gone bad, etercoral, lentiginous, touched, fusty, effete, reasty, rotten, corrupt, tainted, high, flyblown, maggoty, putrid, putrefactive, putrescent, putrefied, saprogenic, saprogenous, purulent, carious, peccant, fecal, feculent, stercoraceous, excrementitious, scurfy, scurvy, impetiginous, gory, bloody, rotting, rotten as a pear, rotten as cheese, crapulous, gross, fimetarious, fimicolous, they that touch pitch will be defiled.

Money

N money, legal tender, money matters, money market, finance, accounts, funds, treasure, capital, stock, assets, wealth, supplies, ways and means, wherewithal, sinews of war, almighty dollar, needful, cash, mammon, dough, cabbage, money-like instruments, M, M, sum, amount, balance, balance sheet, sum total, proceeds, currency, circulating medium, specie, coin, piece, hard cash, cold cash, dollar, sterling coin, pounds shillings and pence, Ls, d, pocket, breeches pocket, purse, money in hand, cash at hand, ready money, ready cash, slug, wad wad of bills, wad of money, thick wad of bills, roll of dough, rhino, blunt, dust, mopus, tin, salt, chink, argent comptant, bottom dollar, buzzard dollar, checks, dibs, double eagle, eagle, Federal currency, fractional currency, postal currency, Federal Reserve Note, United States Note, silver certificate, gold certificate, long bit, short bit, moss, nickel, pile, pin money, quarter, red cent, roanoke, rock, seawan, seawant, thousand dollars, grand, single, one-dollar bill, two- dollar bill, five-dollar bill, fiver, fin, Lincoln, ten-dollar bill, sawbuck, twenty-dollar bill, Jackson, double sawbuck, fifty-dollar bill, hundred-dollar bill, C-note, penny, cent, Lincoln cent, indian head penny, copper, two-cent piece three-cent piece, half- dime, nickel, buffalo nickel, V nickel, dime, disme, mercury dime, quarter, two bits, half dollar, dollar, silver dollar, Eisenhower dollar, Susan B, Anthony dollar, precious metals, gold, silver, copper, bullion, ingot, nugget, petty cash, pocket money, change, small change, small coin, doit, stiver, rap, mite, farthing, sou, penny, shilling, tester, groat, guinea, rouleau, wampum, good sum, round sum, lump sum, power of money, plum, lac of rupees, major coin, crown, minor coin, monetarist, monetary theory, numismatics, chrysology, numismatist, paper money, greenback, major denomination, minor denomination, money order, postal money order, Post Office order, bank note, bond, bill, bill of exchange, order, warrant, coupon, debenture, exchequer bill, assignat, blueback, hundi, shinplaster, note, note of hand, promissory note, I O U, draft, check, cheque, back-dated check, negotiable order of withdrawal, NOW, remittance, credit, liability, drawer, drawee, obligor, obligee, moneyer, coiner, false money, bad money, base coin, flash note, slip, kite, fancy stocks, Bank of Elegance, argumentum ad crumenam, letter of credit, circulation, multiplier effect, inflation, double-digit inflation, hyperinflation, erosion of the currency, debasement of the currency, deflation, stagflation, exchange rate, rate of exchange, floating exchange rates, fixed rates, currency counter, currency exchange, bureau de change, gold-backed currency, gold standard, silver standard, bank account, savings account, checking account, money market account, NOW account, time deposit, deposit, demand deposit, super NOW account, certificate of deposit, CD, $, US$, Y, A$, Federal Reserve Bank, central bank, Federal Reserve Board, board of governors of the Federal Reserve, Treasury Department, Secret Service, mint, bureau of engraving, seigniorage, counterfeit, funny money, bogus money, (falsehood), interest, interest rate, discount rate, monetary, pecuniary, crumenal, fiscal, financial, sumptuary, numismatic, numismatical, sterling, nummary, barbarus ipse placet dummodo sit dives, but the jingling of the guinea helps the hurt that, Gelt regiert die Welt, money rules the world, money makes the world go round, nervos belli pecuniam infinitam, redet Geld so schweigt die Welt, money is the mother's milk of politics, money is the root of all evil, money isn't everything, as phony as a three-dollar bill, don't take any wooden nickels.

Levity

N levity, lightness, imponderability, buoyancy, volatility, feather, dust, mote, down, thistle, down, flue, cobweb, gossamer, straw, cork, bubble, balloon, float, buoy, ether, air, leaven, ferment, barm, yeast, lighter-than-air balloon, helium balloon, hydrogen balloon, hot air balloon, convection, thermal draft, thermal, light, subtile, airy, imponderous, imponderable, astatic, weightless, ethereal, sublimated, gossamery, suberose, suberous, uncompressed, volatile, buoyant, floating, portable, light as a feather, light as a thistle, light as air, lighter than air, rise like a balloon, float like a balloon.

Pulverulence

N powderiness, pulverulence, sandiness, efflorescence, friability, powder, dust, sand, shingle, sawdust, grit, meal, bran, flour, farina, rice, paddy, spore, sporule, crumb, seed, grain, particle, limature, filings, debris, detritus, tailings, talus slope, scobs, magistery, fine powder, flocculi, smoke, cloud of dust, cloud of sand, cloud of smoke, puff of smoke, volume of smoke, sand storm, dust storm, pulverization, comminution, attenuation, granulation, disintegration, subaction, contusion, trituration, levigation, abrasion, detrition, multure, limitation, tripsis, filing, mill, arrastra, gristmill, grater, rasp, file, mortar and pestle, nutmeg grater, teeth, grinder, grindstone, kern, quern, koniology, powdery, pulverulent, granular, mealy, floury, farinaceous, branny, furfuraceous, flocculent, dusty, sandy, sabulous, psammous, arenose, arenarious, arenaceous, gritty, efflorescent, impalpable, lentiginous, lepidote, sabuline, sporaceous, sporous, pulverizable, friable, crumbly, shivery, pulverized, attrite, in pieces.

Corpse

N corpse, corse, carcass, cadaver, bones, skeleton, dry bones, defunct, relics, reliquiae, remains, mortal remains, dust, ashes, earth, clay, mummy, carrion, food for worms, food for fishes, tenement of clay this mortal coil, shade, ghost, manes, organic remains, fossils, cadaverous, corpse-like, unburied, sapromyiophyllous.