stilt

noun \ ˈstilt \

Definition of stilt

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

See stilt defined for English-language learners

See stilt defined for kids

Examples of stilt in a Sentence

a circus performer walking on stilts

Recent Examples of stilt from the Web

Their first job is to put your bed on stilts, giving you a few more precious vertical inches of storage under your mattress.

— david pierce, WIRED, "Trick Out Your Dorm With Cool Gear Even Students Can Afford," 17 Aug. 2017
So many events have come and gone over the years, but the Odunde Festival — with its ornately attired African dancers, stilt walkers, and vendors selling African jewelry along South Street every June — has endured and become a fixture.

— jenice armstrong, Philly.com, "Founder of Odunde Festival is gone, but her legacy will live on," 14 Aug. 2017
The D.O.E. makes its home in a long rectangular cinder-block-like building propped up on concrete stilts, just off the National Mall.

— michael lewis, The Hive, "Why the Scariest Nuclear Threat May Be Coming from Inside the White House," 2 Aug. 2017
The D.O.E. makes its home in a long rectangular cinder-block-like building propped up on concrete stilts, just off the National Mall.

— michael lewis, The Hive, "Why the Scariest Nuclear Threat May Be Coming from Inside the White House," 2 Aug. 2017
The D.O.E. makes its home in a long rectangular cinder-block-like building propped up on concrete stilts, just off the National Mall.

— michael lewis, vanityfair.com, "Why the Scariest Nuclear Threat May Be Coming from Inside the White House," 26 July 2017
There will also be jugglers, stilt walkers, balloon artists and a magician from the Cincinnati Family Circus walking around the festival entertaining the crowd.

— cincinnati enquirer, Cincinnati.com, "Hamilton County Roundup: Anderson Days, SharonFest and a famous yard sale," 21 July 2017
There will also be jugglers, stilt walkers, balloon artists and a magician from the Cincinnati Family Circus walking around the festival entertaining the crowd.

— cincinnati enquirer, Cincinnati.com, "Hamilton County Roundup: Anderson Days, SharonFest and a famous yard sale," 21 July 2017
There will also be jugglers, stilt walkers, balloon artists and a magician from the Cincinnati Family Circus walking around the festival entertaining the crowd.

— jennie key, Cincinnati.com, "SharonFest 2017, the party with a purpose, kicks off July 28," 20 July 2017

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

Origin and Etymology of stilt

Middle English stilte; akin to Old High German stelza stilt

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 15th century

See Words from the same year

stilt

verb

Definition of stilt

transitive verb

:to raise on or as if on stilts

Recent Examples of stilt from the Web

On the flipside, this week's other one-on-one date, with Will, is stilted and uncomfortable.

— ashley iaconetti, Cosmopolitan, "Bachelorette Recap: A Very Viking Bloodbath (And Good Riddance To You Too, Lee!)," 28 June 2017
The group’s Web site consists of just a single page, and its Korean is oddly stilted, as if the statements there had been drafted first in a different language, then translated.

— suki kim, The New Yorker, "An Extraordinary Statement from a North Korean Prince," 20 Mar. 2017
The men’s letters are studied and stilted, as if they were written to be published.

— abby mcganney nolan, The Mercury News, "Cokie Roberts shines a light on women who shaped early America in ‘Ladies of Liberty’," 1 Mar. 2017
The prose can sound stilted, perhaps because pulp, with the underworld’s cultural specificity, can be as difficult to translate as poetry.

— special to the washington post, The Denver Post, "The Acid Test review: In a sea of corpses, a lone detective struggles to solve one murder at a time," 5 Jan. 2017

First Known Use of stilt

1649

STILT Defined for English Language Learners

stilt

noun

Definition of stilt for English Language Learners

: one of a set of upright posts that are used to hold a building up above water or the ground
: one of a pair of long poles with platforms for your feet that you can stand on to walk high above the ground

STILT Defined for Kids

stilt

noun \ ˈstilt \

Definition of stilt for Students

1 :one of a pair of tall poles each with a high step or loop for the support of a foot used to lift the person wearing them above the ground in walking

2 :a stake or post used as one of the supports of a structure (as a building) above ground or water level