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Meaning & use

speck of dust

noun·Everyday

Last updated

UK/ˌspek əv ˈdʌst/
US/ˌspek əv ˈdʌst/

Meaning

  1. nouncountable

    A very small piece of dust.

    Grammar: Countable; you can say 'a speck of dust' or 'specks of dust'.

    Patterns

    • a speck of dust
    • specks of dust
    • not a speck of dust

    There wasn't a speck of dust on the table.

    A speck of dust got into my eye.

    She wiped away every speck of dust from the shelves.

Word forms

pluralspecks of dust

Common combinations

a speck of dust
A speck of dust landed on the lens.
specks of dust
The sunlight showed specks of dust in the air.
not a speck of dust
The room was clean — not a speck of dust anywhere.

Synonyms and how they differ

particle
More technical and can refer to any tiny piece of matter, not just dust.
mote
Literary or old-fashioned; it means a speck of dust, often in the phrase 'a mote of dust'.

Word family

speck noun
A very small mark or piece of something.
dust noun
Fine dry powder made of tiny particles of earth or waste matter.

Commonly confused: speck of dust or speck?

speck of dust vs speck

'Speck' alone means a small spot or piece; 'speck of dust' specifies that it is dust.

Practice

He examined the cloth and found not a ______ of dust.

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