devil's dustn.
/ˈdɛvlz ˌdʌst/, U.S. /ˈdɛv(ə)lz ˌdəst/ depreciative.
1. Any of various powdered or dust-like substances whose use or effect is considered to be evil or harmful, such as a drug in powder form, gold dust, gunpowder, asbestos dust, etc. Occasionally with the.In quot. 1851 used in contrast to sense 2.
ΘΚΠ
the world > action or operation > harm or detriment > [noun] > a harmful thing or person > substance
mud1563
devil's dust1791
1791 J. Ireland Hogarth Illustr. II. 404 Opening his snuff box rather carelessly, its contents fall into the eyes of a man below, who, sneezing and swearing alternately, imprecates bitter curses on this devil's dust.
1851 H. Mayhew London Labour II. 30/1 The operation..sends forth choking clouds of dry pungent dirt and floating fibres—the real and original ‘devil's dust’.
1883 H. Smart Hard Lines I. i. 3 One looks up at the snow-white walls.., and then remembers grimly what a mess the devil's dust, as used by modern artillery, would make of them in these days.
1937 Sydney Morning Herald 22 Nov. 4/1 They've learned to know what gold can buy... There's not a thing men wouldn't do for the devil's dust.
1991 Irish Times 2 Aug. 11/1 (title) Hawking the devil's dust [sc. angel dust].
2015 A. Carter Bad Seed xiv. 116 You've got more chance of catching mesothelioma with all the devil's dust they've been finding around the old office.
2. Pulverized or shredded cloth which is produced from old rags using a devil (devil n. 11a(b)) and which is subsequently reformed into shoddy. Now historical and rare.
ΘΚΠ
the world > textiles and clothing > textiles > reconstituted textiles > [noun]
devil's dust1843
extract wool1879
1843 T. Carlyle in Foreign Q. Rev. July 584 Does it beseem thee to weave cloth of devil's-dust instead of true wool?
1851 W. E. Gladstone Let. to Earl of Aberdeen 30 Very like the cloth made in this country from what is called devil's dust.
1864 Athenæum 17 Sept. 364/3 Linen made up of as much devil's dust as flax.
1902 Bull. (Sydney) 19 July 28/4 The ‘woollen’ goods in dispute were cotton with some ‘sweepings of devil's dust and a little oil put in the rove to give it a mellow feeling like wool’.
1951 Hist. Today Apr. 16/1 The prejudice of the day dubbed them ‘devil's dust’, so unpopular was the ground rag with the user of virgin wool.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, June 2017; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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n.1791- half-square
- half-staff
- half-standard
- half-starved
- half-step
- half-stepping
- half-stitch
- half-stocking
- half-stop
- half-storey
- half-strain
- half-strained
- half-stress
- half-stroke
- half-stuff
- half-swing plough
- half-sword
- half-syllabled
- half-tented
- half-terete
- halophytic
- haloplankton
- halos
- halosaur
- halosaurian