powdering
powdering — verb
- powderingpresent simple I / you / we / they
- powderings3rd person singular
- powderinging-ing form
- powderingedpast simple
1. to spread a fine dry substance over skin or another surface, especially as part
to spread a fine dry substance over skin or another surface, especially as part of makeup or decoration.
Mina powdered her nose by the mirror before the concert.
powder + body part in personal care
The baker powdered the warm cake with sugar before lunch.
powder + food + with + [substance]
Backstage, Luis powdered the actor's face under the bright lamps.
Grandma powdered the baby's back to keep the skin dry.
A light wind powdered the field with pale yellow dust.
- wipe off
to remove the powder from a surface or skin
文法句型
powder + [person/body part]
powder + [food/surface] + with + [substance]
用法筆記
Often takes a body part, face, or surface directly as the object. In everyday use, this sense is especially common for cosmetics, but it can also describe lightly covering food or objects.
常見錯誤
2. to crush a solid until it turns into tiny loose particles.
to crush a solid until it turns into tiny loose particles.
The old machine powdered the dried beans for the soup.
powder + material by grinding
Years of wind had powdered the dry soil on the hill.
The worker powdered the chalk and mixed it with water.
Strong waves powdered the shells along the empty beach.
- solidify
to become solid rather than broken into powder
文法句型
powder + [solid material]
powder + [material] + into + [result]
用法筆記
Object is usually a hard or dry material such as chalk, beans, rock, or soil. Distinguish from sense 1: sense 1 puts powder onto something, while this sense changes the material itself into powder.
常見錯誤
powdering — noun
1. a dry material made of many very small loose pieces, often after something has b
a dry material made of many very small loose pieces, often after something has been crushed.
A white powder covered the gym floor after the chalk box fell.
powder as a loose dry material
The cook mixed the red powder into a bowl of hot oil.
Fine gray powder rose from the wall when Ben drilled a hole.
The bag leaked powder onto Nora's black coat on the bus.
- solid
a single hard mass rather than many loose tiny pieces
文法句型
powder + of + [material]
fine / white / gray powder
用法筆記
Usually uncountable when you mean the material in general. Distinguish from sense 2, which is specifically the cosmetic product used on the face.
2. a soft product in tiny particles that people brush onto the face to cut shine or
a soft product in tiny particles that people brush onto the face to cut shine or finish makeup.
Emma kept face powder in her bag for hot summer afternoons.
face powder as a cosmetic product
Before the wedding, the makeup artist brushed powder across Julia's forehead.
brush powder onto the face
A little powder stopped the shine on Ken's nose in photos.
The dancer's powder spilled over the dressing-room table after rehearsal.
- face powder
full name for the cosmetic product
- compact
can mean pressed powder together with its case
- makeup
much broader; includes many beauty products, not only powder
文法句型
wear powder
brush powder onto + [face/body part]
用法筆記
Usually uncountable for the product in general. Distinguish from sense 1: sense 1 can be any fine dry material, while this sense is specifically for cosmetic use on the face.
常見錯誤
3. light snow that stays soft and separate because it is still dry and unmelted.
light snow that stays soft and separate because it is still dry and unmelted.
Fresh powder covered the ski path above the village.
skiing context: powder = loose dry snow
By noon, the powder near the trees was still soft.
The snowboard sank deep into powder after last night's storm.
Cold wind kept the mountain powder dry all morning.
- powder snow
full phrase for the same kind of snow
- fresh snow
overlaps, but fresh snow is not always as dry and light as powder
- fluff
informal; used by skiers for very light snow
- slush
wet partly melted snow
文法句型
fresh / deep powder
ski in powder
用法筆記
Common in skiing and snow reports. Distinguish from ordinary 'snow' when the speaker wants to emphasize how dry, light, and easy to move through it is.
4. a dry explosive substance used for guns, fireworks, or blasting rock.
a dry explosive substance used for guns, fireworks, or blasting rock.
The museum showed a horn for carrying powder beside old rifles.
historical collocation: powder horn
Workers stored the powder in a dry shed away from heat.
A spark reached the powder, and the firework burst early.
In the story, soldiers packed powder into small paper tubes.
- gunpowder
the most familiar specific word in everyday use
- propellant
more technical; emphasizes driving a bullet or shell forward
- explosive
broader; includes many materials besides powder
文法句型
store / carry powder
powder for guns or fireworks
用法筆記
Often appears in historical or technical contexts. In modern everyday English, the more specific word 'gunpowder' is often used instead.