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powder one's nose. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word
powder one's nose, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say
powder one's nose in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word
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English
Etymology
From the lavatory's use as a place to apply makeup.
Verb
powder one's nose (third-person singular simple present powders one's nose, present participle powdering one's nose, simple past and past participle powdered one's nose)
- (euphemistic, typically of women) To visit a lavatory to use a toilet, reapply makeup, (when used of a group of women) engage in private conversation, etc.
I'll be right back. I just have to powder my nose.
C'mon girls; let's go powder our noses.
1996, Deirdre Purcell, Roses After Rain, page 335:
- (slang) To snort cocaine or other types of drugs via one's nose.
The cokehead couldn't go more than a couple hours without powdering his nose.
1994, Quentin Tarantino, Roger Avary, Pulp Fiction, spoken by Mia Wallace (Uma Thurman):Well I'll tell you what, I'll go to the bathroom and powder my nose, while you sit here and think of something to say.
See also
Further reading
- Jonathon Green (2024) “powder one's nose v.”, in Green’s Dictionary of Slang
- Eric Partridge (2005) “powder your nose”, in Tom Dalzell and Terry Victor, editors, The New Partridge Dictionary of Slang and Unconventional English, volumes 2 (J–Z), London, New York, N.Y.: Routledge, →ISBN, page 1537.