To remove dust from something by wiping or brushing it; also means to defeat someone decisively or to leave suddenly.
From Old English 'dust,' possibly related to Old Norse 'dust' and German 'Dunst' (vapor). The verb form developed naturally from the noun, with figurative meanings emerging over centuries.
When someone gets 'dusted' in sports, they're beaten so badly it's as if an opponent has turned them to dust and they blow away—it's a vivid metaphor that uses a literal action to describe total defeat.
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