protrude

verb

pro·​trude prō-ˈtrüd 

protruded; protruding

intransitive verb

: to jut out from the surrounding surface or context

a handkerchief protruding from his breast pocket

transitive verb

1

: to cause to project

2

archaic : to thrust forward

protrusible

prō-ˈtrü-sə-bəl 

-zə-

adjective

Did you know?

Since trudere means "to thrust" in Latin, protrude means basically "to thrust forward". If your neighbors' patio protrudes over your property boundary, you may want to discuss it with them. A protruding disc in your spine may have to be operated on sooner or later; superficial protrusions, such as corns or bunions, tend to be less serious than more deeply rooted ones.

Synonyms of protrude

• poke
• bulge
• swell
• jut

Examples of protrude in a Sentence

His lower jaw protrudes slightly.

A handkerchief protruded from his shirt pocket.

Recent Examples on the Web

The apartment's one window, protruding from the zinc roof, faces west, putting it in direct sun from midday to dusk. — ABC News, 25 June 2026

The problem was that many of them protruded from the front of vehicles like miniature medieval weapons. — Peter Lyon, Forbes.com, 18 June 2026

The skinny braids wrapped the bottom of the bun, while the thicker braids dressed the top, forming a cylinder shape that protruded from the crown of her head. — Kaleigh Werner, Footwear News, 29 June 2026

All door handles in the ward are metal levers flush with the door, rather than protruding, to prevent patients from using them as ligature points. — Ashley Andreou, STAT, 22 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

Latin protrudere, from pro- + trudere to thrust — more at threat

First Known Use

1620, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 2

Rhymes for protrude

• accrued
• allude
• collude
• conclude
• construed
• debuted
• delude
• elude
• endued
• ensued
• eschewed
• etude

Kids Definition

protrude

verb

pro·​trude prō-ˈtrüd 

protruded; protruding

: to stick out or cause to stick out

Medical Definition

protrude

verb

pro·​trude prō-ˈtrüd 

protruded; protruding

transitive verb

: to cause to project

the mentalis raises and protrudes the lower lip

—Gray's Anatomy

intransitive verb

: to jut out from the surrounding surface