French word

poudrer

Pronunciation

IPA/pudʁe/

Meaning

  • verbdust

Example

Je vais poudrer le gâteau de sucre glace.

I am going to dust the cake with powdered sugar.

Illustration for poudrer (dust)

More examples

Avant de sortir, elle va poudrer son visage.

Before going out, she is going to powder her face.

Core concept

A surface lightly dusted until its look or feel changes.

Common phrases

  • se poudrer le nez

    powder one's nose

  • poudrer le gâteau

    dust the cake

  • poudrer de sucre glace

    dust with powdered sugar

Similar words

saupoudrer: To sprinkle powder or fine particles lightly and evenly over a surface.
parsemer: To scatter small pieces or dots here and there.

Definition in French

Appliquer ou répandre une poudre fine sur une surface de façon superficielle, souvent pour modifier l'aspect ou la texture.

Word origin

French formed poudrer from poudre, meaning powder, by adding the regular infinitive ending -er to make a verb for applying powder.

Usage tips

  • For food, poudrer is natural for dusting a finished item, while saupoudrer more specifically emphasizes scattering powder over it.

Other meanings

  • powderverb

Opposites

  • essuyerwipeverb
  • dépoussiérerdustverb

Related words

  • poudrépowderedadjective
  • poudragedustingnoun

Word lists with this word