dusty

Everyday

1. Dusty means covered with dust, the dry powder of dirt that collects on things. tree →
2. A dusty road or place is dry with lots of loose dirt in the air. tree →
3. Dusty can describe a dull, greyish colour, like dusty pink. tree →

In the lessons

In everyday life shelves, attics and old books get dusty and need wiping; dusty roads in the countryside or outback make clouds when cars pass. In stories a dusty room shows nobody has been there for a long time. In health lessons dust can make people with allergies or asthma sneeze or cough. Phrases: «dusty old books», «a dusty road», «dusty shelves».

Examples

• The books in the attic were old and dusty. tree →
• We drove along a dusty road. tree →
• Please wipe the dusty shelves. tree →
• His boots were dusty after the walk. tree →
• The empty house smelled dusty. tree →
• Dusty air makes me sneeze. tree →
• She wore a dusty pink dress. tree →
• Nobody had opened the dusty box for years. tree →
• Two Travellers were walking along a bare and dusty road in the heat of a summer's day. tree →

Note

Comparative: dustier, dustiest (y → i). Noun: dust; verb «to dust» oddly means to remove dust (dust the shelves) and also to sprinkle powder (dust a cake with sugar).