powder

Etymology

From Middle English poudre, pouder, pouldre, borrowed from Old French poudre, poldre, puldre, from Latin pulverem, accusative singular of Latin pulvis (“dust, powder”). Compare pollen (“fine flour”), polverine, pulverize.

noun

1. The fine particles which are the result of reducing a dry substance by pounding, grinding, or triturating, or the result of decay; dust.
   Let them stop fretting about vegetables denied by the weather and eat chilli powder. Just explain to them that they really shouldn’t think about spiralising it, because that doesn’t work. February 3, 2017, Deborah Orr, “Veg crisis, what veg crisis? If we can’t have courgettes, then let us eat kale”, in The Guardian
2. (cosmetics) A mixture of fine dry, sweet-smelling particles applied to the face or other body parts, to reduce shine or to alleviate chaffing.
   She was redolent of violet sachet powder, and had warm, soft, white hands, but she danced divinely, moving as smoothly as the tide coming in. 1912, Willa Cather, The Bohemian Girl
3. An explosive mixture used in gunnery, blasting, etc.; gunpowder.
4. (informal) Ellipsis of powder snow.; light, dry, fluffy snow.
5. Ellipsis of powder blue.; the colour powder blue.

verb

1. (transitive) To reduce to fine particles; to pound, grind, or rub into a powder.
   25 October 2016, Bettina Elias Siegel writing in New York Times, Should the Food Industry Sneak Vegetables Into Food? In desperation, they dried fruits and vegetables in an old food dehydrator they had, then used their coffee grinder to powder the produce...
2. (transitive) To sprinkle with powder, or as if with powder.
   to powder one's hair
   23 March 2016, Seth Augenstein in Laboratory Equipment, FDA Proposes Ban on Powdered Surgical Gloves, Decades after Documenting Health Dangers Gloves were powdered for more than a century to allow doctors and surgeons to slip them on more easily.
3. (intransitive) To use powder on the hair or skin.
   1778-1787, Frances Burney, The Diary and Letters of Madame D'Arblay If she is grave, and reads steadily on, she dismisses me, whether I am dressed or not; but at all times she never forgets to send me away while she is powdering, with a consideration not to spoil my clothes
4. (intransitive) To turn into powder; to become powdery.
   Ample evidence is brought forward to show that the higher incidence of chronic interstitial nephritis in Queensland is due to lead paint on the verandahs and railings of the houses, which powders easily during the long Australian summer. 1934, Edward Knight, The Clinical Journal, volume 63
5. (obsolete, transitive) To sprinkle with salt; to corn, as meat.
6. (intransitive, slang) To depart suddenly; to "take a powder".
   Miss Gibson appeared in the empty hall, her eyes wide and shocked. The little man who had started all the trouble with his singing telegram had powdered. 1980, Stephen King, The Wedding Gig