Dust vs. Dirt

Dustnoun

(uncountable) Fine, dry particles of matter found in the air and covering the surface of objects, typically consisting of soil lifted up by the wind, pollen, hair, etc.

Dirtnoun

Soil or earth.

Dustnoun

(countable) The act of cleaning by dusting.

Dirtnoun

A stain or spot (on clothes etc); any foreign substance that worsens appearance, filth

Dustnoun

(obsolete) A single particle of earth or other material.

Dirtnoun

Previously unknown facts, or the invented "facts", about a person; gossip; kompromat

‘The reporter uncovered the dirt on the businessman by going undercover.’;

Dustnoun

The earth, as the resting place of the dead.

Dirtnoun

(figurative) Meanness; sordidness.

Dustnoun

The earthy remains of bodies once alive; the remains of the human body.

Dirtnoun

(mining) In placer mining, earth, gravel, etc., before washing.

Dustnoun

(figurative) Something worthless.

Dirtnoun

freckles

Dustnoun

(figurative) A low or mean condition.

Dirtverb

To make foul or filthy; soil; befoul; dirty

Dustnoun

cash; money (in reference to gold dust).

Dirtnoun

Any foul of filthy substance, as excrement, mud, dust, etc.; whatever, adhering to anything, renders it foul or unclean; earth; as, a wagonload of dirt.

‘Whose waters cast up mire and dirt.’;

Dustnoun

(mathematics) A totally disconnected set of points with a fractal structure.

Dirtnoun

Meanness; sordidness.

‘Honors . . . thrown away upon dirt and infamy.’;

Dustverb

(transitive) To remove dust from.

‘The cleaning lady needs a stool to dust the cupboard.’;

Dirtnoun

In placer mining, earth, gravel, etc., before washing.

Dustverb

(intransitive) To remove dust; to clean by removing dust.

‘Dusting always makes me cough.’;

Dirtverb

To make foul of filthy; to dirty.

Dustverb

(intransitive) Of a bird, to cover itself in sand or dry, dusty earth.

Dirtnoun

the part of the earth's surface consisting of humus and disintegrated rock

Dustverb

(transitive) To spray or cover something with fine powder or liquid.

‘The mother dusted her baby's bum with talcum powder.’;

Dirtnoun

the state of being covered with unclean things

Dustverb

To leave; to rush off.

Dirtnoun

obscene terms for feces

Dustverb

To reduce to a fine powder; to levigate.

Dirtnoun

disgraceful gossip about the private lives of other people

Dustnoun

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.’; ‘Stop! - for thy tread is on an empire's dust.’;

Dirtadjective

(of roads) not leveled or drained; unsuitable for all year travel

Dustnoun

A single particle of earth or other matter.

Dirt

Dirt is unclean matter, especially when in contact with a person's clothes, skin or possessions. In such case they are said to become dirty.

Dustnoun

The earth, as the resting place of the dead.

‘For now shall sleep in the dust.’;

Dustnoun

The earthy remains of bodies once alive; the remains of the human body.

‘And you may carve a shrine about my dust.’;

Dustnoun

Figuratively, a worthless thing.

‘And by the merit of vile gold, dross, dust.’;

Dustnoun

Figuratively, a low or mean condition.

‘[God] raiseth up the poor out of the dust.’;

Dustnoun

Gold dust

Dustverb

To free from dust; to brush, wipe, or sweep away dust from; as, to dust a table or a floor.

Dustverb

To sprinkle with dust.

Dustverb

To reduce to a fine powder; to levigate.

Dustnoun

fine powdery material such as dry earth or pollen that can be blown about in the air;

‘the furniture was covered with dust’;

Dustnoun

the remains of something that has been destroyed or broken up

Dustnoun

free microscopic particles of solid material;

‘astronomers say that the empty space between planets actually contains measurable amounts of dust’;

Dustverb

remove the dust from;

‘dust the cabinets’;

Dustverb

rub the dust over a surface so as to blur the outlines of a shape;

‘The artist dusted the charcoal drawing down to a faint image’;

Dustverb

cover with a light dusting of a substance;

‘dust the bread with flour’;

Dustverb

distribute loosely;

‘He scattered gun powder under the wagon’;

Dust

Dust is made of fine particles of solid matter. On Earth, it generally consists of particles in the atmosphere that come from various sources such as soil lifted by wind (an aeolian process), volcanic eruptions, and pollution.