powdery

Meanings

1. 1
   adj

   consisting of, resembling, or easily crumbling into fine dry particles

   Fine, powdery snow began to settle on the road.

2. 2
   adj

   covered with or containing a noticeable amount of powder

   The baker brushed the powdery flour from her sleeves.

3. 3
   adj

   pale, soft, or dulled in color as though dusted with powder

   The room was painted a quiet, powdery blue.

Formed in English from powder + -y. Powder came through Middle English and Old French from Latin pulvis or pulver-, "dust." The color sense compares a pale, muted surface to one lightly dusted with fine powder.

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