Powdery describes something that has the texture, appearance, or quality of powder: fine, dry, and easily crumbled or scattered. Fresh snow on a ski slope is powdery when it's light and fluffy, not wet and packed. If you rub chalk between your fingers, it leaves a powdery residue. When you tap a donut covered in powdered sugar, a powdery white cloud might puff into the air.

The word often describes things that break apart into tiny, dust-like particles. Old, dry soil can become powdery during a drought. A rock that's been weathered by wind and time might crumble into a powdery substance. Bakers work with powdery ingredients like flour and confectioners' sugar every day.

Powdery can also describe how something looks: pale and matte, without shine or gloss. Some plants have powdery leaves that look like they've been dusted with flour. You might describe certain butterflies or moths as having powdery wings because of the delicate, dust-like scales that cover them.

The word carries a sense of lightness and fragility. Powdery things scatter easily in the wind and don't hold together firmly like clay or dough does.