earth or other matter in fine, dry particles.

a cloud of finely powdered earth or other matter in the air.

any finely powdered substance, as sawdust.

the ground; the earth's surface.

the substance to which something, as the dead human body, is ultimately reduced by disintegration or decay; earthly remains.

British .

ashes, refuse, etc.

junk 1 ( def. 1 ) .

a low or humble condition.

anything worthless.

disturbance; turmoil.

gold dust.

the mortal body of a human being.

a single particle or grain.

Archaic . money; cash.

to wipe the dust from

to dust a table.

to sprinkle with a powder or dust

to dust rosebushes with an insecticide.

to strew or sprinkle (a powder, dust, or other fine particles)

to dust insecticide on a rosebush.

to soil with dust; make dusty.

to wipe dust from furniture, woodwork, etc.

to become dusty.

to apply dust or powder to a plant, one's body, etc.

to dust with an insecticide in late spring.

bite the dust

to be killed, esp. in battle; die.

to suffer defeat; be unsuccessful; fail

Another manufacturer has bitten the dust.

dust off

Baseball . (of a pitcher) to throw the ball purposely at or dangerously close to (the batter).

to take out or prepare for use again, as after a period of inactivity or storage

I'm going to dust off my accounting skills and try to get a job in the finance department.

to beat up badly

The gang of hoodlums dusted off a cop.

leave one in the dust, to overtake and surpass a competitor or one who is less ambitious, qualified

etc.

Don't be so meek, they'll leave you in the dust.

lick the dust

to be killed; die.

to humble oneself abjectly; grovel

He will resign rather than lick the dust.

make the dust fly

to execute with vigor or speed

We turned them loose on the work, and they made the dust fly.

shake the dust from one's feet, to depart in anger or disdain; leave decisively or in haste

esp. from an unpleasant situation

As the country moved toward totalitarianism, many of the intelligentsia shook the dust from their feet.

throw dust in someone's eyes

to mislead; deceive

He threw dust in our eyes by pretending to be a jeweler and then disappeared with the diamonds.