The Collaborative International Dictionary
Dust \Dust\ (d[u^]st), n. [AS. dust; cf. LG. dust, D. duist meal dust, OD. doest, donst, and G. dunst vapor, OHG. tunist, dunist, a blowing, wind, Icel. dust dust, Dan. dyst mill dust; perh. akin to L. fumus smoke, E. fume. [root]7
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] 1. Fine, dry particles of earth or other matter, so comminuted that they may be raised and wafted by the wind; that which is crumbled to minute portions; fine powder; as, clouds of dust; bone dust.
Dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.
--Gen. iii. 19.Stop! -- for thy tread is on an empire's dust.
--Byron. A single particle of earth or other matter. [R.] ``To touch a dust of England's ground.''
--Shak.-
The earth, as the resting place of the dead.
For now shall sleep in the dust.
--Job vii. 21. -
The earthy remains of bodies once alive; the remains of the human body.
And you may carve a shrine about my dust.
--Tennyson. -
Figuratively, a worthless thing.
And by the merit of vile gold, dross, dust.
--Shak. -
Figuratively, a low or mean condition.
[God] raiseth up the poor out of the dust.
--1 Sam. ii. 8. -
Gold dust; hence: (Slang) Coined money; cash.
Down with the dust, deposit the cash; pay down the money. [Slang] ``My lord, quoth the king, presently deposit your hundred pounds in gold, or else no going hence all the days of your life. . . . The Abbot down with his dust, and glad he escaped so, returned to Reading.''
--Fuller.Dust brand (Bot.), a fungous plant ( Ustilago Carbo); -- called also smut.
Gold dust, fine particles of gold, such as are obtained in placer mining; -- often used as money, being transferred by weight.
In dust and ashes. See under Ashes.
To bite the dust. See under Bite, v. t.
To raise dust, or
To kick up dust, to make a commotion. [Colloq.]
To throw dust in one's eyes, to mislead; to deceive.
Usage examples of "to kick up dust".
The spread of shell was wider there, some far enough from the gate to kick up dust, but you expected that at extreme range.
She and Elayne had reached the empty road and were walking down the verge, on the thin grass so as not to kick up dust, before she had it settled in her mind how to bring up what she wanted to say.
They roared about in all directions, sometimes low enough to kick up dust.
The repulsors on the scooters only allowed them to rise ten centimeters off the surface, and there was absolutely no way one could get them to kick up dust short of killing the power and letting them crash.