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

In a New Orleans neighborhood about a mile from the jail, an area dotted with wood-frame homes on stilts with peeling paint, corner stores and small churches, Lakisha Catchings, a mother of eight, said the dangers were keeping her family indoors. —Chris Kenning, USA Today, 17 June 2025

How does a team truly set up to play defense behind a pitcher standing nearly 11-feet tall wearing stilts? —Dan Freedman, Forbes.com, 13 June 2025

Verb

The Spartans, conversely, bring almost a Big Ten-football mentality to the court, trying to stilt the flow of the game by defending and rebounding well. —Rohan Nadkarni, NBC News, 23 Mar. 2025

Urban planners worry an overreliance on single-family residences to raise taxes and house new citizens could stilt the city’s growth. —Jaime Moore-Carrillo, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 13 June 2024

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

Rhymes for stilt

• built
• gilt
• guilt
• hilt
• kilt
• lilt
• milt
• quilt
• silt
• spilt
• tilt
• wilt

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