dust
Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English 5++LDOCE 5++dust1 /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 灰尘，尘埃 All the furniture was covered in dust. 所有的家具都蒙上了灰尘。 a thick layer of dust 厚厚的一层灰尘 There’s not a speck of dust in the kitchen. 厨房里一尘不染。gather/collect dust (=become covered with dust) 积尘 Her old trophies were collecting dust on the shelves. 她的旧奖杯在书架上积起了灰尘。 Dust particles floated in the sunlight. 阳光里飘浮着尘埃颗粒。 A sudden breeze sent motes of dust (=small bits of dust) dancing in the air. 突然刮起一阵微风吹得灰尘飞扬。 →4 See picture on 见图 Page A3 Cleaning 清洁；打扫2 DH[uncountable] dry powder consisting of extremely small bits of earth or sand 沙土，尘土 The wind was blowing dust and leaves up from the ground. 风吹起了地上的尘土和树叶。 A car sped past in a cloud of dust. 一辆汽车疾驰而过，扬起一片尘土。3 TIH[uncountable] powder consisting of extremely small bits of a particular substance 粉末，粉尘coal/brick/chalk etc dust 煤灰/砖粉/粉笔灰等4 a dust DHC British English the act of dusting something 掸灰，去尘 I need to give the sitting room a dust. 我要给起居室掸掸灰尘。5. let the dust settle/wait for the dust to settle CLEAR/EASY TO UNDERSTANDto allow or wait for a confused situation to become clear 让尘埃落定/等待情况明朗 → bite the dust at bite1(8), → dusty, → leave somebody in the dust at leave1(15), → not see somebody for dust at see1(35)n 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.dust2 ●●○ verb 1 [intransitive, transitive]DHC to clean the dust from a surface by moving something such as a soft cloth across it （给…）擦灰尘 Rachel dusted the books and the bookshelves. 雷切尔给书和书架除尘。 I was dusting in the bedroom when the phone rang. 我正在卧室里打扫，电话铃响了。 →5 see picture at 见图 clean22 [transitive] (also dust down, dust off)DC to remove something such as dust or dirt from your clothes by brushing them with your hands 〔用手〕掸（衣服上的灰尘或脏物） He got to his feet and dusted his knees. 他站起来拍拍膝上的灰尘。dust yourself (down/off) Corbett dusted himself down and walked off. 科比特掸掸身上的灰走开了。3 [transitive]SPREAD to put a fine powder over something 将〔粉状物〕撒于dust something with something Dust the biscuits with icing sugar. 把糖粉撒在饼干上面。4 dust something ↔ off phrasal verb a) DHCto remove something such as dust or dirt from your clothes by brushing them with your hands 〔用手〕掸去〔衣服上的灰尘或脏物〕 They were dusting off leaves and twigs. 他们掸去身上的树叶和细枝。dust yourself off He got to his feet and dusted himself off. 他站起来拍拍灰。b) PREPAREto get something ready in order to use it again, after not using it for a long time 把〔长期不用的东西〕备好待用，准备重新使用 The government is dusting off schemes for supporting creative industries. 政府准备重新启动搁置已久的支持创意产业的方案。→ 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 Englishdust1 noun →n COLLOCATIONS1dust2 verbLDOCE OnlineChinese
that powder of of extremely Corpus dirt dry consisting bits small
dust
dust1 S3 W3 /dʌst/ 
noun
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. [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. [uncountable] powder consisting of extremely small bits of a particular substance
coal/brick/chalk etc dust
4. a dust British English the act of dusting something:
I need to give the sitting room a dust.
5. let the dust settle/wait for the dust to settle to allow or wait for a confused situation to become clear
⇨ bite the dust at bite1(8), ⇨ dusty, ⇨ leave somebody in the dust at leave1(15), ⇨ not see somebody for dust at see1(36)
■ verbs
▪be covered in dust Everything was filthy and covered in dust.
▪gather/collect dust (=become covered with dust) Piles of old books lay on the floor gathering dust.
■ phrases
▪a layer of dust I 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.
▪ soil the top layer of the earth that plants grow in: Roses do best in well-drained, slightly acid soil.
▪earth the brown substance that the ground is made up of: Thousands of tons of earth were moved to build the dam.
▪dirt American English loose dry earth: a pile of loose dirt in the wheelbarrow
▪dust a dry powder made up of extremely small bits of earth or sand: A cloud of dust billowed out behind the tractor.
▪mud wet soil that has become soft and sticky: The dog came back covered in mud.
dust2 verb
1. [intransitive and transitive] 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) 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] to put a fine powder over something
dust something with something
Dust the biscuits with icing sugar.
dust something ↔ off phrasal verb
1. to remove something such as dust or dirt from your clothes by brushing them with your hands:
They were dusting off leaves and twigs.
dust yourself off
He got to his feet and dusted himself off.
2. to get something ready in order to use it again, after not using it for a long time:
The government is dusting off schemes for supporting creative industries.
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noun Language: Old English
1. [uncountable] dry powder consisting of extremely small bits of dirt that is in buildings on furniture, floors etc if they are not kept clean: gather/collect dust (=become covered with dust)
2. [uncountable] dry powder consisting of extremely small bits of earth or sand:
3. [uncountable] powder consisting of extremely small bits of a particular substance
coal/brick/chalk etc dust
4. a dust British English the act of dusting something:
5. let the dust settle/wait for the dust to settle to allow or wait for a confused situation to become clear
⇨ bite the dust at bite1(8), ⇨ dusty, ⇨ leave somebody in the dust at leave1(15), ⇨ not see somebody for dust at see1(36)
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verb1. [intransitive and transitive] to clean the dust from a surface by moving something such as a soft cloth across it:
2. [transitive] (also dust down, dust off) to remove something such as dust or dirt from your clothes by brushing them with your hands:
dust yourself (down/off)
3. [transitive] to put a fine powder over something
dust something with something
dust something ↔ off phrasal verb
1. to remove something such as dust or dirt from your clothes by brushing them with your hands:
dust yourself off
2. to get something ready in order to use it again, after not using it for a long time:
soil the top layer of the earth in which plants grow 指土壤 ：◆ Plant the seedlings in damp soil. 把幼苗种在湿润的土壤里。 mud wet soil that is soft and sticky 指泥、淤泥、泥浆 ：◆ The car wheels got stuck in the mud. 汽车轮子陷到泥里去了。 dust a fine powder that consists of very small pieces of rock, earth, etc. 指沙石、沙土、尘土 ：◆ A cloud of dust rose as the truck set off. 卡车起动时扬起一片灰尘。 clay a type of heavy sticky soil that becomes hard when it is baked and is used to make things such as pots and bricks 指黏土、陶土 ：◆ The tiles are made of clay. 这些砖是用陶土制成的。 land an area of ground, especially of a particular type 尤指某种类型的地带、土地 ：◆ an area of rich, fertile land 土地富饶肥沃的地域 earth the substance that plants grow in 指土、泥、泥土 NOTE Earth is often used about the soil found in gardens or used for gardening.* earth 常用以指花园里或种花用的泥土 ：◆ She put some earth into the pot. 她在花盆里放了一些泥土。 dirt ( soil, especially loose soilespecially
NAmE 指泥土，尤指松土、散土 ：◆ Pack the dirt firmly around the plants. 将植物周围的土培实。 ground an area of soil 指土地 ：◆ The car got stuck in the muddy ground. 汽车陷到泥地里了。 ◆ They drove across miles of rough, stony ground. 他们驶过数英里崎岖不平、多石的土地。 NOTE Ground is not used for loose soil.* ground 不用以指松土、散土 ：◆ a handful of dry ground
Patterns
good/rich soil/land/earthfertile/infertile soil/land/groundto dig the soil/mud/clay/land/earth/groundto cultivate the soil/land/ground
soil the top layer of the earth in which plants grow 指土壤 ：◆ Plant the seedlings in damp soil. 把幼苗种在湿润的土壤里。 mud wet soil that is soft and sticky 指泥、淤泥、泥浆 ：◆ The car wheels got stuck in the mud. 汽车轮子陷到泥里去了。 dust a fine powder that consists of very small pieces of rock, earth, etc. 指沙石、沙土、尘土 ：◆ A cloud of dust rose as the truck set off. 卡车起动时扬起一片灰尘。 clay a type of heavy sticky soil that becomes hard when it is baked and is used to make things such as pots and bricks 指黏土、陶土 ：◆ The tiles are made of clay. 这些砖是用陶土制成的。 land an area of ground, especially of a particular type 尤指某种类型的地带、土地 ：◆ an area of rich, fertile land 土地富饶肥沃的地域 earth the substance that plants grow in 指土、泥、泥土 NOTE Earth is often used about the soil found in gardens or used for gardening.* earth 常用以指花园里或种花用的泥土 ：◆ She put some earth into the pot. 她在花盆里放了一些泥土。 dirt ( soil, especially loose soilespecially
NAmE 指泥土，尤指松土、散土 ：◆ Pack the dirt firmly around the plants. 将植物周围的土培实。 ground an area of soil 指土地 ：◆ The car got stuck in the muddy ground. 汽车陷到泥地里了。 ◆ They drove across miles of rough, stony ground. 他们驶过数英里崎岖不平、多石的土地。 NOTE Ground is not used for loose soil.* ground 不用以指松土、散土 ：◆ a handful of dry ground
Patterns
good/rich soil/land/earthfertile/infertile soil/land/groundto dig the soil/mud/clay/land/earth/groundto cultivate the soil/land/ground
especially