pölykuoren

Pölykuoren is the genitive form of pölykuori, a Finnish compound noun meaning "dust shell" (from pöly 'dust' and kuori 'shell' or 'coat'). The base noun has several context-dependent senses in Finnish.

In everyday language, pölykuori commonly refers to a thin layer of dust that accumulates on surfaces, furniture, and objects. It is used descriptively to indicate that a surface has collected dust over time.

In publishing contexts, pölykuori is used to describe the protective paper cover placed around a book, known in English as a dust jacket. The wrapper helps protect the book and often carries artwork and bibliographic information.

In scientific usage, the term is employed to describe an outer layer around a particle or body. In botany, pölykuori can denote the pollen coat surrounding pollen grains. In astronomy, the concept is used for a circumstellar dust shell—dust that surrounds a star or stellar remnant and emits infrared radiation.

The word illustrates how a simple compound of native Finnish roots can acquire specialized senses across domains. See also pöly, kuori, dust jacket, pollen coat, circumstellar dust shell.