from
WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006)
dusty miller
n 1: shrubby perennial of the Canary Islands having white
flowers and leaves and hairy stems covered with dustlike
down; sometimes placed in genus Chrysanthemum [syn: {dusty
miller}, {silver-lace}, {silver lace}, {Tanacetum
ptarmiciflorum}, {Chrysanthemum ptarmiciflorum}]
2: stiff much-branched perennial of the Mediterranean region
having very white woolly stems and leaves [syn: {dusty
miller}, {Senecio cineraria}, {Cineraria maritima}]
3: a plant having leaves and stems covered with down that
resembles dust [syn: {dusty miller}, {Centaurea cineraria},
{Centaurea gymnocarpa}]
4: herb with greyish leaves found along the east coast of North
America; used as an ornamental plant [syn: {dusty miller},
{beach wormwood}, {old woman}, {Artemisia stelleriana}]
5: an old cottage garden plant of southeastern Europe widely
cultivated for its attractive white woolly foliage and showy
crimson flowers [syn: {mullein pink}, {rose campion},
{gardener's delight}, {dusty miller}, {Lychnis coronaria}]
from
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
dusty \dust"y\ (d[u^]st"[y^]), a. [Compar. {Dustier}
(d[u^]st"[i^]*[~e]r); superl. {Dustiest}
(d[u^]st"[i^]*[e^]st).] [AS. dystig. See {Dust}.]
1. Filled, covered, or sprinkled with dust; clouded with
dust; as, a dusty table; a dusty attic; also, reducing to
dust.
[1913 Webster]
And all our yesterdays have lighted fools
The way to dusty death. --Shak.
[1913 Webster]
2. Like dust; of the color of dust; as, a dusty white.
[1913 Webster]
{Dusty miller} (Bot.), a plant ({Cineraria maritima}); -- so
called because of the ashy-white coating of its leaves.
[1913 Webster]