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Origin and history of duster

duster(n.)

1570s, "dust brush for clothes," agent noun from dust (v.). Meaning "sifter, fine sieve" is from 1660s; that of "light overcoat or wrap worn to keep off dust from clothing" is from 1864.

also from 1570s

Entries linking to duster

dust(v.)

c. 1200, "to rise in the air as dust;" later "to sprinkle with dust" (1590s) and "to rid of dust" (1560s); from dust (n.). Related: Dusted; dusting. Sense of "to kill" is U.S. slang first recorded 1938 (compare bite the dust under dust (n.)).

knuckle-duster(n.)

face-busting, hand-protecting metal knuckle-guard, 1857, from knuckle (n.) + duster, name of a type of protective coat worn by workmen.

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    Trends of duster

    adapted from books.google.com/ngrams/ with a 7-year moving average; ngrams are probably unreliable.

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    gaberdine
    "long, loose outer garment," 1510s, from Spanish gabardina, which Watkins says is from French galverdine, from a Germanic source such as Middle High German wallevart "pilgrimage" (German Wallfahrt) in the sense of "pilgrim's cloak." The compound would represent Proto-Germanic *wa
    smock
    Middle English smok, "women's undergarment, shift," from from Old English smoc "garment worn by women," corresponding to the men's shirt, from Proto-Germanic *smukkaz (source also of Old Norse smokkr "a smock," but this perhaps is from Old English; Old High German smoccho "smock,
    feather
    Feather-duster attested by 1835. Figurative use of feather in (one's) cap attested by 1734....
    delivery
    early 15c., "act of setting free from bondage," also "action of handing over to another," from Anglo-French delivrée, noun use of fem. past participle of Old French delivrer (see deliver). Sense of "childbirth, giving forth of offspring" is by 1570s; that of "manner of utterance
    pitch
    "thick, tenacious, resinous substance obtained from tar or turpentine, wood tar," late 12c., pich, piche, from Old English pic "pitch," from a Germanic borrowing (compare Old Saxon and Old Frisian pik, Middle Dutch pik, Dutch pek, Old High German pek, German Pech, Old Norse bik)
    coat
    early 14c., "principal outer garment, tunic, kirtle," typically made of cloth and usually with sleeves, worn alone or under a mantle, from Old French cote "coat, robe, tunic, overgarment," from Frankish *kotta "coarse cloth" or some other Germanic source (compare Old Saxon kot "w
    storm
    Old English storm "tempest, violent disturbance of the atmosphere," often accompanied by high winds, rain, etc.; also "onrush, attack; tumult; disturbance," from Proto-Germanic *sturmaz "storm" (source also of Old Norse stormr, Old Saxon, Middle Low German, Middle Dutch, Dutch st
    staple
    late 13c., stapel, "bent piece of metal with pointed ends," from Old English stapol, stapel "post, pillar, trunk of a tree, steps to a house," from Proto-Germanic *stapulaz "pillar" (source also of Old Norse stopull "tower," Old Saxon stapal "candle, small tub," Old Frisian stapu
    quench
    Middle English quenchen, "to extinguish, put out" (heat, light, fire, also of desire, hunger, thirst), also figurative, "to bring to naught, eliminate, render ineffectual" (c. 1200), Old English acwencan "to quench" (of fire, light), from Proto-Germanic *kwenkjanan, probably a ca
    locomotive
    1610s, "pertaining to movement," from French locomotif, from Latin loco "from a place" (ablative of locus "place;" see locus) + Late Latin motivus "moving" (see motive). From 1650s as "moving from place to place;" by 1814 as "having the power of moving by itself. The noun meaning

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