dust
dust — 名詞
1. very small, dry particles of earth, sand, or other solid material that float in
灰塵
落到物體表面的細小粉狀髒物
very small, dry particles of earth, sand, or other solid material that float in the air and form a thin layer on surfaces when they settle
A thick layer of dust had settled on the piano after months of neglect.
那架鋼琴被忽視了幾個月，上面積了一層厚厚的灰塵。
collocation: a layer of dust, dust settles
The children kicked up clouds of dust as they ran along the unpaved road.
孩子們沿著未鋪柏油的路跑過去，揚起一陣陣灰塵。
collocation: cloud of dust
Mizuki sneezed when she lifted the old carpet and a puff of dust flew into the air.
Mizuki 掀起舊地毯時打了一個噴嚏，因為一陣灰塵飛到了空中。
collocation: puff of dust
Sunlight streamed through the window and made the specks of dust visible in the air.
陽光從窗戶照進來，讓空氣中的灰塵微粒清晰可見。
The construction site was so dry that dust covered every surface for blocks around.
建築工地非常乾燥，灰塵覆蓋了附近好幾個街區的每一處表面。
- thick dust
- layer of dust
- cloud of dust
- speck of dust
- dust settles
- dust gathers
- dust rises
- dust covers
文法句型
dust + verb (settles, gathers)
cloud/puff/speck/layer of dust
用法筆記
Dust is uncountable in this sense. To talk about individual pieces, use 'a speck of dust', 'a particle of dust', or 'a grain of dust'.
常見錯誤
bite the dust
idiom(informal, often humorous) to die, fail, be defeated, or stop working
失敗；陣亡；壽終正寢
The old washing machine finally bit the dust after fifteen years of use.
Three more teams bit the dust in the first round of the tournament on Saturday.
to remain unused for a long period of time, especially by being left in storage or on a shelf
閒置；被塵封
The exercise bike Niran bought in January is already gathering dust in the corner of his bedroom.
Allison's guitar sat collecting dust until she finally signed up for lessons at the music school.
to completely surpass or outrun a person, competitor, or rival, leaving them far behind
遠遠超越；把⋯⋯甩在後頭
The new electric car left its petrol-powered competitors in the dust with a record-breaking range.
Ishaan studied every evening for months and left the rest of the class in the dust on exam day.
to allow time to pass after a busy, confusing, or angry situation so that things become calmer and clearer
等事情平息；待局勢明朗
After the heated meeting, the manager decided to let the dust settle before making any final decisions.
The town was in chaos after the factory closure, and people needed time for the dust to settle.
collect/gather dust
idiomTo remain unused for a long period of time.
積灰塵，閒置不用
Maya's old camera has been collecting dust in the closet for years.
Why not sell that bicycle that's gathering dust in the garage?
To move far ahead of someone, leaving them behind.
把某人遠遠拋在後面
The new runner left everyone in the dust during the final lap.
Did the company's latest product leave its competitors in the dust?
To wait until a situation becomes calmer or clearer before acting.
等塵埃落定，等情況明朗
After the argument, they decided to let the dust settle before talking again.
We should wait for the dust to settle before making any big changes.
dust — 動詞
- dustpresent simple I / you / we / they
- dusts3rd person singular
- dusting-ing form
- dustedpast simple
1. to remove the fine layer of dry particles from furniture, shelves, or other obje
撣灰塵
用布清除表面灰塵
to remove the fine layer of dry particles from furniture, shelves, or other objects by wiping or brushing the surface with a cloth or duster
Kemi dusted the living room shelves while listening to a podcast on her headphones.
Kemi 一邊戴著耳機聽 Podcast，一邊撣掉客廳書架上的灰塵。
transitive: dust + object (shelves)
Shirin carefully dusted the antique clock with a soft brush rather than a cloth.
Shirin 用一把軟刷而不是布，仔細地把古董鐘上的灰塵撣掉。
Could you dust the window frames before the guests arrive this afternoon?
你今天下午可以趁客人來之前把窗框上的灰塵擦掉嗎？
The librarian dusted the rare book collection every Tuesday morning with great care.
圖書館員每週二早上小心翼翼地撣掉珍本藏書上的灰塵。
- dust shelves
- dust furniture
- dust surfaces
- dust with a cloth
- dust carefully
文法句型
dust + noun phrase (furniture/shelf/surface)
dust something down/off
用法筆記
Often used with 'down' or 'off' (dust down the curtains, dust off the shelves) in British and American English respectively to emphasise thorough cleaning. Unlike 'clean', 'dust' specifically targets the removal of loose dry particles rather than general grime.
常見錯誤
2. to cover or sprinkle a surface with a fine, loose layer of small particles, such
撒；灑
在表面撒上一層細粉
to cover or sprinkle a surface with a fine, loose layer of small particles, such as flour, sugar, powder, or snow
The baker dusted the top of the cake with a layer of icing sugar before serving it.
烘焙師在上桌前在蛋糕頂層撒了一層糖粉。
pattern: dust + object + with [substance]
Vinícius dusted the grilled fish with salt and black pepper just before taking it off the heat.
Vinícius 在即將離火前把鹽和黑胡椒粉撒在烤魚上。
A light snow dusted the rooftops and gardens during the night while everyone slept.
夜裡大家睡覺時，薄薄的雪輕輕覆蓋了屋頂和花園。
Niran dusted a handful of flour over the work surface before kneading the bread dough.
Niran 在工作檯面上撒了一把麵粉，然後開始揉麵團。
pattern: dust + [substance] + over + [surface]
- dust with sugar
- dust with flour
- dust with snow
- dust over
- lightly dusted
文法句型
dust something with something
dust something over/across something
用法筆記
Common in cooking (dust with sugar/flour), baking (dust a pan with flour), and describing natural phenomena (snow dusts the ground). The passive form 'was dusted with' is frequently used for finished results.
常見錯誤
dust off
phrasal verbto remove dust from something using a cloth or brush; or (figurative) to begin using or practising something again after a long period of not using it
撣去灰塵；重拾
Eli dusted off his old bicycle in the garage and pumped up the tyres for a ride.
Lucía dusted off her Spanish vocabulary book before the trip to Madrid.
dust down (especially British)
phrasal verbto brush dust or dirt off clothing or a surface; also used figuratively to mean recovering after a setback and preparing to continue
拍掉灰塵；重新振作
After falling off her bike, Ada dusted down her trousers and got back on.
The project failed, but the team dusted themselves down and started planning the next attempt.