Dust vs Mote - What's the difference?
dust | mote |
(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.
(countable) The act of cleaning by dusting.
* 2010 , Joan Busfield, Michael Paddon, Thinking About Children: Sociology and Fertility in Post-War England (page 150)
(obsolete) A single particle of earth or other material.
* Shakespeare
The earth, as the resting place of the dead.
* Bible, Job vii. 21
The earthy remains of bodies once alive; the remains of the human body.
* Tennyson
(figurative) Something worthless.
* Shakespeare
(figurative) A low or mean condition.
* Bible, 1 Sam. ii. 8
(slang, dated) cash; money (in reference to gold dust).
(mathematics) A totally disconnected set of points with a fractal structure.
To remove dust from.
* , chapter=12
, title= To remove dust; to clean by removing dust.
Of a bird, to cover itself in sand or dry, dusty earth.
To spray or cover something with fine powder or liquid.
To leave; to rush off.
* 1939 , (Raymond Chandler), (The Big Sleep) , Penguin 2011, p. 75:
To reduce to a fine powder; to levigate.
A small particle; a speck.
*
A tiny computer for remote sensing. Also known as smartdust.
* 1596 , (Edmund Spenser), The Faerie Queene , VI.7:
(obsolete) Must.
* 1980 , (Erica Jong), Fanny :
(obsolete) A meeting for discussion.
(obsolete) A body of persons who meet for discussion, especially about the management of affairs.
(obsolete) A place of meeting for discussion.
In obsolete terms the difference between dust and mote
is that dust is a single particle of earth or other material while mote is a place of meeting for discussion.As nouns the difference between dust and mote
is that dust is 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 while mote is a small particle; a speck.As verbs the difference between dust and mote
is that dust is to remove dust from while mote is may or might.dust
English
Noun
- once they start school, I mean you can do a room out one day, the next day it only needs a dust , doesn't it?
- to touch a dust of England's ground
- I shall sleep in the dust .
- And you may carve a shrine about my dust .
- And by the merit of vile gold, dross, dust .
- [God] raiseth up the poor out of the dust .
Derived terms
* angel dust * bite the dust * catch dust * dust ball * dustbin, dust bin * dust devil * dustbowl, dust bowl * dust bunny * dust filter * dustman * dust mask * dustpan * duststorm * dust trap * dust-up * dusty * fairy dust * goofer dust * pixie dust * smart dust, smartdust * stardust * turn to dustVerb
(en verb)The Mirror and the Lamp, passage=There were many wooden chairs for the bulk of his visitors, and two wicker armchairs with red cloth cushions for superior people. From the packing-cases had emerged some Indian clubs, […], and all these articles […] made a scattered and untidy decoration that Mrs. Clough assiduously dusted and greatly cherished.}}
- He added in a casual tone: ‘The girl can dust . I'd like to talk to you a little, soldier.’
- (Sprat)
Derived terms
* dust off * dusterSee also
* vacuum cleanermote
English
Etymology 1
From (etyl) .Noun
(en noun)- Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother’s eye.
See also
* floaterEtymology 2
From (etyl) moten, from (etyl) . Related to (l).Verb
(head)- he […] kept aloofe for dread to be descryde, / Untill fit time and place he mote' espy, / Where he ' mote worke him scath and villeny.
- ‘I shall not take Vengeance into my own Hands. The Goddess will do what She will.’ ‘So mote it be,’ said the Grandmaster.
Usage notes
* Generally takes an infinitive without to .Etymology 3
See .Noun
(en noun)- a wardmote in the city of London
- a folkmote