To bite the dust

To bite the dust
Dust Dust (d[u^]st), n. [AS. dust; cf. LG. dust, D. duist meal dust, OD. doest, donst, and G. dunst vapor, OHG. tunist, dunist, a blowing, wind, Icel. dust dust, Dan. dyst mill dust; perh. akin to L. fumus smoke, E. fume. [root]71.] 1. Fine, dry particles of earth or other matter, so comminuted that they may be raised and wafted by the wind; that which is crumbled to minute portions; fine powder; as, clouds of dust; bone dust. [1913 Webster]

Dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return. --Gen. iii. 19. [1913 Webster]

Stop! -- for thy tread is on an empire's dust. --Byron. [1913 Webster]

2. A single particle of earth or other matter. [R.] ``To touch a dust of England's ground.'' --Shak. [1913 Webster]

3. The earth, as the resting place of the dead. [1913 Webster]

For now shall sleep in the dust. --Job vii. 21. [1913 Webster]

4. The earthy remains of bodies once alive; the remains of the human body. [1913 Webster]

And you may carve a shrine about my dust. --Tennyson. [1913 Webster]

5. Figuratively, a worthless thing. [1913 Webster]

And by the merit of vile gold, dross, dust. --Shak. [1913 Webster]

6. Figuratively, a low or mean condition. [1913 Webster]

[God] raiseth up the poor out of the dust. --1 Sam. ii. 8. [1913 Webster]

7. Gold dust; hence: (Slang) Coined money; cash. [1913 Webster]

{Down with the dust}, deposit the cash; pay down the money. [Slang] ``My lord, quoth the king, presently deposit your hundred pounds in gold, or else no going hence all the days of your life. . . . The Abbot down with his dust, and glad he escaped so, returned to Reading.'' --Fuller.

{Dust brand} (Bot.), a fungous plant ({Ustilago Carbo}); -- called also {smut}.

{Gold dust}, fine particles of gold, such as are obtained in placer mining; -- often used as money, being transferred by weight.

{In dust and ashes}. See under {Ashes}.

{To bite the dust}. See under {Bite}, v. t.

{To raise dust}, or

{To kick up dust}, to make a commotion. [Colloq.]

{To throw dust in one's eyes}, to mislead; to deceive. [Colloq.] [1913 Webster]


The Collaborative International Dictionary of English. 2000.

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  • bite the dust — {v. phr.}, {informal} 1. To be killed in battle. * /Captain Jones discharged his gun and another guerrilla bit the dust./ 2. To fall in defeat; go down before enemies; be overthrown; lose. * /Our team bit the dust today./ …   Dictionary of American idioms

  • bite the dust — {v. phr.}, {informal} 1. To be killed in battle. * /Captain Jones discharged his gun and another guerrilla bit the dust./ 2. To fall in defeat; go down before enemies; be overthrown; lose. * /Our team bit the dust today./ …   Dictionary of American idioms

  • Bite The Dust — may refer to:*A figure of speech for DeathIn Music: *PCD (album) *Another One Bites the Dust, a song by Queen …   Wikipedia

  • bite the dust — ► bite the dust informal die or be killed. Main Entry: ↑bite …   English terms dictionary

  • bite the dust — This is a way of saying that somebody has died, especially if they are killed violently like a soldier in battle …   The small dictionary of idiomes

  • bite the dust — 1. tv. to die. □ A shot rang out, and another cowboy bit the dust. D I’m too young to bite the dust. 2. tv. to break; to fail; to give out. □ My car finally bit the dust. □ This pen has bitten the dust …   Dictionary of American slang and colloquial expressions

  • bite the dust —    to die    A synonym of lick the dust, and usually of violent death, although not necessarily after falling from your horse in a Western movie.    Rare figurative use:     .. .Jerry will unleash some devil s device and another brilliant… …   How not to say what you mean: A dictionary of euphemisms

  • To bite the dust — Bite Bite (b[imac]t), v. t. [imp. {Bit} (b[i^]t); p. p. {Bitten} (b[i^]t t n), {Bit}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Biting}.] [OE. biten, AS. b[=i]tan; akin to D. bijten, OS. b[=i]tan, OHG. b[=i]zan, G. beissen, Goth. beitan, Icel. b[=i]ta, Sw. bita, Dan.… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • bite the dust —    This is a way of saying that somebody has died, especially if they are killed violently like a soldier in battle.   (Dorking School Dictionary)    ***    This expression is used to talk about death in a light hearted way.    The expression… …   English Idioms & idiomatic expressions

  • bite the dust — 1. to fail or to stop existing. Three hundred more people lost their jobs in the same region when another firm bit the dust. She can t make it on Saturday? Oh, well, another good idea bites the dust! 2. to die. Two Hollywood stars of the thirties …   New idioms dictionary

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