1.
dust and dirt; fine particles
Minute particles of dirt, dust, or debris. A literary or formal word for dust.
空気中の塵埃を除去する。
To remove dust particles from the air.
工場では塵埃の管理が徹底されている。
Dust management is thoroughly enforced in the factory.
クリーンルームでは塵埃が一切許されない。
In a cleanroom, not a single particle of dust is permitted.
2.
worldly concerns; earthly cares (figurative)
Used metaphorically, especially in Buddhist or literary contexts, to refer to the mundane world and its troubles.
塵埃にまみれた俗世。
The mundane world, covered in earthly dust.
塵埃を離れて山に籠もる。
To retreat to the mountains, leaving worldly cares behind.
禅の修行で心の塵埃を払う。
Through Zen practice, one sweeps away the dust of the mind.
A literary and somewhat formal word combining 塵 (dust) and 埃 (dirt/dust). Both characters independently mean "dust" — together they emphasize minuteness and pervasiveness. Common in technical writing (manufacturing, cleanrooms) and in Buddhist/literary contexts where it symbolizes worldly attachments.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 塵埃を除去する: to remove dust
- 塵埃濃度: dust concentration
- 塵埃管理: dust control
- 塵埃にまみれる: to be covered in dust (literal or figurative)
SIMILAR WORDS:
- 埃: dust — the everyday word for household dust
- 塵: dust, particle — literary; common in the saying 塵も積もれば山となる
- ゴミ: garbage, litter — refers to trash rather than fine particles
- 粉塵: particulate matter — technical term for airborne particles