Dusting

How to spell dusting

7 letters · 2 syllables

How to pronounce dusting

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does dusting mean?

1. nounThe act of removing fine particles of dirt from surfaces.
2. nounA thin scattered covering or sprinkling of a powdery substance.

Dusting in a sentence

• The shelves needed a thorough dusting after the renovation.

• A light dusting of snow covered the parked cars overnight.

• She gave the old bookcase a quick dusting before the guests arrived.

• The baker finished the cake with a dusting of icing sugar.

Where does dusting come from?

Language of origin: Germanic

This word grows straight out of the Old English noun dust, which referred to fine dry powder, dirt, or the loose particles that settle on surfaces. The same root appears across the older Germanic languages, where related words described powder, chaff, or a fine spray, which is why a closely linked sense survives in 'a dusting of snow'. The verb 'to dust' developed two opposite-looking meanings: to remove fine particles (as when cleaning) and to sprinkle fine particles on (as when dusting a cake with sugar). Adding the ordinary -ing ending produced 'dusting', used both as the action of cleaning and as a noun for a thin scattered layer. The spelling has stayed reassuringly simple because the word is native English rather than a borrowing, so there are no silent or foreign letters to trip over.

How the word is built

• dust (Old English dust: fine dry particles)
• -ing (verbal/gerund suffix)