dusk /dʌ sk/ N‑UNCOUNT Dusk is the time just before night when the daylight has almost gone but when it is not completely dark. □ We arrived home at dusk.
dusky /dʌ ski/ (duskier , duskiest )
1 ADJ Dusky means rather dark. [LITERARY ] □ He was walking down the road one dusky Friday evening.
2 ADJ A dusky colour is soft rather than bright. [LITERARY ] □ …dusky pink carpet.
dust ◆◇◇ /dʌ st/ (dusts , dusting , dusted )
1 N‑UNCOUNT Dust is very small dry particles of earth or sand. □ Tanks raise huge trails of dust when they move.
2 N‑UNCOUNT Dust is the very small pieces of dirt which you find inside buildings, for example on furniture, floors, or lights. □ I could see a thick layer of dust on the stairs.
3 N‑UNCOUNT [oft n N ] Dust is a fine powder which consists of very small particles of a substance such as gold, wood, or coal. □ The air is so black with diesel fumes and coal dust, I can barely see.
4 VERB When you dust something such as furniture, you remove dust from it, usually using a cloth. □ [V n] I vacuumed and dusted the living room. □ [V ] She dusted, she cleaned, and she did the washing-up. ● dust|ing N‑UNCOUNT □ I'm very fortunate in that I don't have to do the washing-up or the dusting.
5 VERB If you dust something with a fine substance such as powder or if you dust a fine substance onto something, you cover it lightly with that substance. □ [V n prep/adv] Lightly dust the fish with flour. □ [V adv/prep] Dry your feet well and then dust between the toes with baby powder.
6 PHRASE If you say that something has bitten the dust , you are emphasizing that it no longer exists or that it has failed. [HUMOROUS , INFORMAL , EMPHASIS ] □ In the last 30 years many cherished values have bitten the dust.
7 PHRASE If you say that something will happen when the dust settles , you mean that a situation will be clearer after it has calmed down. If you let the dust settle before doing something, you let a situation calm down before you try to do anything else. [INFORMAL ] □ Once the dust had settled Beck defended his decision.
8 PHRASE If you say that something is gathering dust , you mean that it has been left somewhere and nobody is using it or doing anything with it. □ Many of the machines are gathering dust in basements.
▸ dust off in BRIT, also use dust down 1 PHRASAL VERB If you say that someone dusts something off or dusts it down , you mean they are using an old idea or method, rather than trying something new. □ [V P n] Critics dusted down the superlatives they had applied to the first three films. [Also V n P ]
2 PHRASAL VERB If you say that someone has dusted himself or herself off or dusted himself or herself down , you mean that they have managed to recover from a severe problem which has affected their life. □ [V pron-refl P ] She dusted herself down and left to build her own career.
dust|bin /dʌ stb I n/ (dustbins ) N‑COUNT A dustbin is a large container with a lid which people put their rubbish in and which is usually kept outside their house. [BRIT ] in AM, usually use garbage can
dust|cart /dʌ stkɑː r t/ (dustcarts ) N‑COUNT A dustcart is a truck which collects the rubbish from the dustbins outside people's houses. [BRIT ] in AM, usually use garbage truck
dust|er /dʌ stə r / (dusters )
1 N‑COUNT A duster is a cloth which you use for removing dust from furniture, ornaments, or other objects.
2 → see also feather duster
du st jack|et (dust jackets ) also dust-jacket N‑COUNT A dust jacket is a loose paper cover which is put on a book to protect it. It often contains information about the book and its author.
dust|man /dʌ stmən/ (dustmen ) N‑COUNT A dustman is a person whose job is to empty the rubbish from people's dustbins and take it away to be disposed of. [BRIT ] in AM, use garbage man
du st mite (dust mites ) N‑COUNT Dust mites are very small creatures that cause allergies. □ It’s not easy to remove the dust mites from soft toys.
dust|pan /dʌ stpæn/ (dustpans ) N‑COUNT A dustpan is a small flat container made of metal or plastic. You hold it flat on the floor and put dirt and dust into it using a brush.
du st sheet (dust sheets ) also dustsheet N‑COUNT A dust sheet is a large cloth which is used to cover objects such as furniture in order to protect them from dust.
du st storm (dust storms ) N‑COUNT A dust storm is a storm in which strong winds carry a lot of dust.
du st-up (dust-ups ) N‑COUNT A dust-up is a quarrel that often involves some fighting. [INFORMAL ] □ He's now facing suspension after a dust-up with the referee.
dusty /dʌ sti/ (dustier , dustiest )
1 ADJ [usu ADJ n] If places, roads, or other things outside are dusty , they are covered with tiny bits of earth or sand, usually because it has not rained for a long time. □ They started strolling down the dusty road in the moonlight.
2 ADJ If a room, house, or object is dusty , it is covered with very small pieces of dirt. □ …a dusty attic.
Dutch /dʌ tʃ/
1 ADJ Dutch means relating to or belonging to the Netherlands, or to its people, language, or culture.
2 N‑PLURAL The Dutch are the people of the Netherlands.
3 N‑UNCOUNT Dutch is the language spoken in the Netherlands.