stilt

1 of 2

noun

ˈstilt 

1

a

: one of two poles each with a rest or strap for the foot used to elevate the wearer above the ground in walking

b

: a pile or post serving as one of the supports of a structure above ground or water level

2

plural also stilt : any of several very long-legged 3-toed shorebirds (genera Himantopus and Cladorhynchus) that are related to the avocets, frequent inland ponds and marshes, and nest in small colonies

stilt

2 of 2

verb

stilted; stilting; stilts

transitive verb

: to raise on or as if on stilts

Examples of stilt in a Sentence

Noun

a circus performer walking on stilts

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

The group, dressed in traditional African costumes, drummed and danced while several towered above the crowd on top of stilts. —J.m. Banks, Kansas City Star, 1 June 2024

Originally, the building was going to be lifted on stilts to account for rising seas, but planners were able to build back away from the beach – high enough on a foundation pad set 16 feet above sea level – to be out of the way of waves, said Peter Tauscher, senior civil engineer for the city. —Laylan Connelly, Orange County Register, 31 May 2024

Verb

Your ability to move into different situations can be stilted at times. —BostonGlobe.com, 31 Aug. 2019

And the ouster of one of the longest-serving stalwarts in the agency shows how far the White House is willing to go toward disrupting NASA and attempting to break through the bureaucracy that many think has stilted its exploration efforts for years. —Christian Davenport, Washington Post, 11 July 2019

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English stilte; akin to Old High German stelza stilt

First Known Use

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

1649, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

stilt

noun

ˈstilt

1

: one of two poles each with a rest or strap for the foot used to elevate the wearer above the ground in walking

2

: a stake or post used to support a structure above ground or water level