dust down

English

Verb

dust down (third-person singular simple present dusts down, present participle dusting down, simple past and past participle dusted down)

  1. Alternative form of dust off.
    • 2019 October, Rail Freight Group, “Consequences of a no deal Brexit”, in Modern Railways, page 20:
      These preparations are being dusted down and refreshed and will continue to stand their owners in good stead in November.
    • 2025 August 6, Richard Wilcock, “Old units... new lease of life”, in RAIL, number 1041, page 31:
      Hood explains: "It's never a case of just taking these units and dusting them down. Because they had been in storage, they had not undertaken their time-based overhaul, which had been due. They had also not undertaken their mileage-based overhaul, which was also due for all the sets. That caused a bit of a headache when it came to recommissioning them."
  2. (slang) To demean or verbally assault; to dress down.
  3. (slang) To clean (someone) off who has fallen.
    He was on the ground, so I helped him up, dusted him down and brought him home.

References

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