From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishdustdust1 /dʌst/ ●●● S3 W3 noun 1 DH[uncountable] dry powder consisting of extremely small bits of dirt that is in buildings on furniture, floors etc if they are not kept clean All the furniture was covered in dust. a thick layer of dust There’s not a speck of dust in the kitchen.gather/collect dust (=become covered with dust) Her old trophies were collecting dust on the shelves. Dust particles floated in the sunlight. A sudden breeze sent motes of dust (=small bits of dust) dancing in the air.2 DH[uncountable] dry powder consisting of extremely small bits of earth or sand The wind was blowing dust and leaves up from the ground. A car sped past in a cloud of dust.3 TIH[uncountable] powder consisting of extremely small bits of a particular substancecoal/brick/chalk etc dust4 → a dust5 → let the dust settle/wait for the dust to settle → bite the dust at bite1(8), → dusty, → leave somebody in the dust at leave1(15), → not see somebody for dust at see1(35)COLLOCATIONSverbsbe covered in dustEverything was filthy and covered in dust.gather/collect dust (=become covered with dust)Piles of old books lay on the floor gathering dust.phrasesa layer of dustI brushed away the thin layer of dust which covered the picture.a speck of dust (=a tiny piece of dust)By the time I'd finished cleaning, there wasn't a speck of dust anywhere.a particle of dust/a dust particle (=a small piece of dust)The air is full of dust particles.motes of dust/dust motes literary (=small pieces of dust)Glittering motes of dust hung in the sunlight.
Examples from the Corpus
dust• It is easy enough to imagine brushing away a meter or so of dry dust covering an ice deposit.• Get some tinsel and some glitter dust if you can.• Knowing also his hinted promise was likely to be so much dust.• In the morning I woke up and turned over; a big cloud of dust rose from the mattress.• There was a thick layer of dust on the furniture.• a thick layer of dust on the furniture• The wine bottle had a white sheen of dust along one side, the wineglasses were wet from rinsing.• And thus the work went on, and many a Federal and Confederate bit the dust.• Max brushed the dust off his coat.• When the dust settles, we are the enforcers, the last line of law.• We don't know whether the dust is toxic.motes of dust• Shame filled the air like motes of dust.cloud of dust• But you would be standing getting soaking wet in the rain and get hit by a cloud of dust.• Another cloud of dust descended from the ceiling and fell around Goebbels.• I was there, but all I remember is one big cloud of dust.• As the rising sun heats the fields, the dew evaporates, to be replaced by clouds of dust.• You see it on telly, it goes down in sections and crumples in a huge cloud of dust.• The boards overhead buckled and dropped little clouds of dust as great thumping steps wandered around the office.• The eruption of Mount Pinatubo produced a massive cloud of dust.• Just a settling cloud of dust.• The cloud of dust grows bigger and bigger.coal/brick/chalk etc dust• Campaigners claim deposits of coal dust released into the atmosphere are a health hazard and a nuisance.• Its floor is covered with a fine layer of chalk dust from the calloused palms of legions of lifters.• The blast, 610m below ground, is thought to have been caused by a mix of coal dust and methane gas.• There were the eternal school smells of chalk dust, wax crayons, cedar shavings, damp wool, and warm children.• The House also distinguished McGhee, as in that case the plaintiff's injury was caused by the brick dust.• Wilson had grown up black with coal dust.• Jeff even carried out trial runs using rockets stuffed with coal dust.dustdust2 ●●○ verb 1 [intransitive, transitive]DHC to clean the dust from a surface by moving something such as a soft cloth across it Rachel dusted the books and the bookshelves. I was dusting in the bedroom when the phone rang.2 [transitive] (also dust down, dust off)DC to remove something such as dust or dirt from your clothes by brushing them with your hands He got to his feet and dusted his knees.dust yourself (down/off) Corbett dusted himself down and walked off.3 [transitive]SPREAD to put a fine powder over somethingdust something with something Dust the biscuits with icing sugar. → dust something ↔ off→ See Verb tableExamples from the Corpus
dust• She didn't often dust behind the pictures.• We dusted each other down and then it was time to walk home.• He clambered down, dusted himself off.• Then he straightened and dusted invisible grains of dirt from the knees of his coveralls.• She decided to dust the dining room furniture again.• A maid dusted the furniture.• Fussily, the embalmer dusted the remains of the salt from her body.• Dust the top of the cake with cinnamon.• A thorough cleaning includes dusting under the wardrobes.dust yourself (down/off)• The Doctor pulled himself up and dusted himself down.• William clambers over with terrible difficulty, dusts himself off and heads towards where she stands.• She dusts herself off and rejoins the group.• Swindon have got to pick themselves up, dust themselves off and start all over again.• The soldier rose, dusted himself off, pulled out his card, and presented it to the two boys.• However, Grimm was already picking himself up, swearing, dusting himself off, retrieving his cap.• He clambered down, dusted himself off.• Mentally, I got up and dusted myself off.Origin dust1 Old English 