dust ball

noun

Chiefly Northern and North Midland U.S. a ball or roll of dust and lint that accumulates indoors, as in corners or under furniture.

Also called dust curl.

Regional variation note

Dust ball and dust curl are used chiefly in the North and North Midland U.S. Dust kitten and dust kitty are also in use in the Northern U.S., but there are many other terms that are in use in widely scattered local areas, such as dust mouse, house moss, and woolly.