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Fine, dry particles of earth or other matter, so comminuted that they may be raised and wafted by the wind; that which is crumbled too minute portions; fine powder; as, clouds of dust; bone dust. Dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return. Gen. iii. 19. Stop! -- for thy tread is on an empire's dust. Byron.…

A breaking out with some interjectional particle.

s through the lungs; to strain off or decant, as a powder which is separated from heavier particles by being drawn off with water; to cleanse, as by washing.

The process of elutriating; a decanting or racking off by means of water, as finer particles from heavier.

A flying off in small particles, as heated iron or fermenting liquors; a sparkling; scintillation. Sir T. Browne.

Emission theory (Physics), the theory of Newton, regarding light as consisting of emitted particles or corpuscles. See Corpuscular theory, under Corpuscular.

Affixed; subjoined; -- said of a word or particle which leans back upon the preceding word so as to become a part of it, and to lose its own independent accent, generally varying also the accent of the preceding word.

An instrument for measuring the diameters of minute particles or fibers, from the size of the colored rings produced by the diffraction of the light in which the objects are viewed.

To cause the particles or parts of to spread themselves or stand apart, thus increasing bulk without addition of substance; to make to occupy more space; to dilate; to distend; to extend every way; to enlarge; -- opposed to Ant: contract; as, to expand the chest; heat expands all bodies; to expand the sphere of benevol…

To give forth insensibly or gently, as a fluid or vapor; to emit in minute particles; to exhale; as, the earth expires a damp vapor; plants expire odors. The expiring of cold out of the inward parts of the earth in winter. Bacon.

Of or pertaining to ashes. [Obs.] Light and favollous particles. Sir T. Browne.

Partaking of iron; containing particles of iron. Boyle.

A fragment or particle rubbed off by the act of filing; as, iron filings.

e act or process of filtering; the mechanical separation of a liquid from the undissolved particles floating in it.

Not coarse; comminuted; in small particles; as, fine sand or flour.

-- Fire swab, a swab saturated with water, for cooling a gun in action and clearing away particles of powder, etc. Farrow. -- Fire teaser, in England, the fireman of a steam emgine. -- Fire water, ardent spirits; -- so called by the American Indians. -- Fire worship, the worship of fire, which prevails chiefly in P…

A little particle of lighted or incandescent matter, darted from a fire; a flash. With flakes of ruddy fire. Somerville.

nerating, or tending to generate, wind in the stomach. Vegetables abound more with aërial particles than animal substances, and therefore are more flatulent. Arbuthnot.

case (Naut.), a caisson used for lifting a ship. -- Float copper or gold (Mining), fine particles of metallic copper or of gold suspended in water, and thus liable to be lost. -- Float ore, water-worn particles of ore; fragments of vein material found on the surface, away from the vein outcrop. Raymond. -- Float st…

The process by which small particles of fine soils and sediments aggregate into larger lumps.