protuberance

noun pro·tu·ber·ance \ prō-ˈtü-b(ə-)rən(t)s , -ˈtyü- \

Definition of protuberance

1 : something that is protuberant

2 : the quality or state of being protuberant

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Examples of protuberance in a Sentence

the tree trunk had several mossy protuberances where branches had once grown

Recent Examples of protuberance from the Web

Throughout, every protuberance is thin and delicately rough-edged, like deckled paper.

— roberta smith, will heinrich, martha schwendener and jason farago, New York Times, "What to See in New York Art Galleries This Week," 20 Dec. 2017
The other bore tooth-like protuberances, called ossicles, above speckled reddish black skin.

— lorraine boissoneault, Smithsonian, "Is the Mysterious Sea Cucumber Slipping Out of Our Grasp?," 4 Nov. 2017
In literally the blink of an eye, all those little bumps, spikes, and protuberances disappear.

— ed yong, The Atlantic, "Octopus-Inspired Material Can Change Its Texture," 12 Oct. 2017
From this face extended a fleshy protuberance, similar to a mini elephant trunk or a tapir’s proboscis.

— steph yin, New York Times, "Strange Mammals That Stumped Darwin Finally Find a Home," 3 July 2017
The jewel-tone dresses had fan-like protuberances attached to them.

— the washington post, The Denver Post, "Saint Laurent is trying too hard to be sexy, and it’s just not working," 1 Mar. 2017
These knobby protuberances, known as galls, are sort of like tree cysts induced by the presence of the host wasp's young.

— andrew forbes, National Geographic, "New Crypt-Keeper Wasp Is Parasite That Bursts From Host's Head," 25 Jan. 2017
A tinge of menace emanates from the best ones, their spiky protuberances, wiggly tendrils and starburst-style blossoms evoking sci-fi weaponry and ear-splitting explosions.

— david pagel, latimes.com, "Take a walk through the imaginary garden of Anna Zemánková," 9 June 2017

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

First Known Use of protuberance

1646

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

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protuberance Synonyms

Synonym Discussion of protuberance

projection, protrusion, protuberance, bulge mean an extension beyond the normal line or surface. projection implies a jutting out especially at a sharp angle.