dusting

1 of 2

noun

dust·​ing ˈdə-stiŋ 

plural dustings

1

: the act of making something clean by brushing or wiping away dirt and dust from the surface

The furniture needs a good dusting.

2

a

: a small amount of something that falls or is sprinkled over a surface

During summer, the cracked floor looks prehistoric under the desert sun; during winter, it's intermittently covered by sheets of ice and dustings of snow.

—Joseph Stromberg

Add pearl onions, mushrooms, and a dusting of marjoram.

—Hali Ramdene

b

: a faint or slight quality or amount

… sporting a dusting of stubble, DiSpirito runs Union Pacific, a paragon of gilded, inventive Manhattan dining.

—James Poniewozik

dusting

2 of 2

present participle of dust entry 2

Examples of dusting in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

For most people, this spot isn’t cleaned as often, but for those who do feel the need to add this area into your weekly dusting routine, Hernandez recommends cutting back. — Ashlyn Needham, The Spruce, 21 Aug. 2026

Each flavor pairs a base (matcha, espresso, vanilla bean, or strawberry) with a shell (chocolate, white chocolate, matcha, or espresso) and a garnish dusting. — Melissa Kravitz Hoeffner, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2026

This doesn’t necessarily mean a deep clean, but a quick dusting. — Daley Quinn, Southern Living, 18 July 2026

Last year, the DEA's lab in Chicago showed how a small dusting of fentanyl could kill someone. — Marissa Sulek, CBS News, 13 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1681, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for dusting

• busting
• crusting
• gusting
• lusting
• rusting
• thrusting
• trusting
• adjusting
• disgusting
• distrusting
• encrusting
• entrusting