Merriam-Webster Logo
SINCE 1828
dictionary thesaurus view recents

protrude

verb
Save Word
pro·​trude | \ prō-ˈtrüd How to pronounce protrude (audio) \
protruded; protruding

Definition of protrude

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
Other Words from protrude Synonyms Did You Know? More Example Sentences Learn More about protrude

Keep scrolling for more

Other Words from protrude

protrusible \ prō-​ˈtrü-​sə-​bəl How to pronounce protrusible (audio) , -​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.

Examples of protrude in a Sentence

His lower jaw protrudes slightly. A handkerchief protruded from his shirt pocket.
Recent Examples on the Web The inside wall has pale logs stacked, with a wide arch cut out, a log staircase and a view of the upstairs loft, which protrudes like the bow of a ship. — Judy Rose, Detroit Free Press, "$950K log home is on 5 acres in Genoa Township gated community," 24 Oct. 2019 Also, remove the bulb and look closely at the two tiny wires protruding from its base. — Joseph Truini, Popular Mechanics, "How To Fix a String of Christmas Lights," 21 Oct. 2019 Embracing the invaluable photo opp, Jolie leaned into it, serving looks and laughing to the cameras as if the black horns and wings were actually protruding from her own body. — Chelsey Sanchez, Harper's BAZAAR, "Angelina Jolie Tops Off a Black Lace Dress With a Studded Headband," 10 Oct. 2019 As expected, the Denisovan girl looked fairly similar to a Neanderthal, with a similarly flat cranium, protruding lower jaw, and sloping forehead, the researchers report this week in Cell. — Michael Price, Science | AAAS, "Ancient DNA puts a face on the mysterious Denisovans, extinct cousins of Neanderthals," 19 Sep. 2019 Some were perplexed by the specifics of the cats' anatomy: why the human/cat hybrids had breasts, for instance, or where exactly their tails protruded from. — Emily Dixon, CNN, "The 'Cats' trailer is here and it's horrifying the internet," 19 July 2019 The fire was extinguished by the crew on board, and upon landing an investigation discovered wires protruding from the affected area. — Jon Porter, The Verge, "Burning battery pack forces emergency landing of Virgin flight," 5 July 2019 Combat boots are paired with gowns that have vines of flowers protruding out of them. — Tatum Dooley, Teen Vogue, "Gigi Hadid Stars in Prada's Fall Winter 2019 Campaign Video," 9 July 2019 Likewise, Lea Craigie-Marshall’s X-ray-like cyanotypes of real guns are disarmed by the flowers protruding from their barrels. — Mark Jenkins, Washington Post, "In the galleries: Dickson Carroll puts fun and folly in form and function," 21 June 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'protrude.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

See More

First Known Use of protrude

1620, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 2

History and Etymology for protrude

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

Keep scrolling for more

Learn More about protrude

Statistics for protrude

Last Updated

14 Nov 2019

Time Traveler for protrude

The first known use of protrude was in 1620

See more words from the same year

Keep scrolling for more

More Definitions for protrude

protrude

verb
How to pronounce protrude (audio)

English Language Learners Definition of protrude

: to stick out

See the full definition for protrude in the English Language Learners Dictionary

protrude

verb
pro·​trude | \ prō-ˈtrüd How to pronounce protrude (audio) \
protruded; protruding

Kids Definition of protrude

: to stick out or cause to stick out

protrude

verb
pro·​trude | \ prō-ˈtrüd How to pronounce protrude (audio) \
protruded; protruding

Medical Definition of protrude

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

Keep scrolling for more

More from Merriam-Webster on protrude

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for protrude

Spanish Central: Translation of protrude

Nglish: Translation of protrude for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of protrude for Arabic Speakers

Comments on protrude

What made you want to look up protrude? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

Show Comments  Hide Comments 

WORD OF THE DAY

incongruous

Listen to the pronounciation of incongruous

not being in agreement or harmony

Get Word of the Day daily email!

Test Your Vocabulary

Confusing Words—A Quiz

  • alice with tweedle dee and tweedle dum
  • I invented a brand new toaster robot and ______ it "Sir Toasts-a-Lot."
Spell It

Can you spell these 10 commonly misspelled words?

TAKE THE QUIZ
Add Diction

Test Your Knowledge - and learn some interesting things along the way.

TAKE THE QUIZ
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Words at Play
Ask the Editors
Word Games