stilt

noun \ ˈstilt \

|Updated on: 9 Jun 2018

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

After a more than three-hour meeting and a visual arts protest with jugglers, stilt walkers and unicycle riders showing their talents, the council voted to keep the mayor’s veto in place.

— shawn r. beals, Courant Community, "Middletown Council Allows Mayor's Budget Veto, Keeps Funding For Arts Director," 30 May 2018
Built on stilts to protect from floods, the 760-square-foot, two-bedroom, one-bath homes are simple and straightforward.

— patrick sisson, Curbed, "In Florida Keys, land trust aims to bring affordable housing back post-hurricane," 11 May 2018
General admission to the festival costs $7 a day ($5 for kids 3 and older), including live entertainment along the waterfront by jugglers, stilt-walkers, magicians, and live bands, along with admission to the Independence Seaport Museum.

— grace dickinson, Philly.com, "Tall ships are coming to Penn's Landing for Memorial Day, and now we have the details," 26 Apr. 2018
The festival’s official parade was full in effect after 8 p.m. with stilt walkers, a band and participants sticking to the theme, with multicolored lit floats and bright batons.

— brittany britto, baltimoresun.com, "Light City Baltimore's opening night brings the crowd to the Inner Harbor," 14 Apr. 2018
Santa Claus will arrive at 5 p.m. and will remain on site for photos and holiday wishes, carolers will stroll the Village singing holiday tunes, also a stilt walker, juggler and balloon artist.

— gege reed, The Courier-Journal, "What to do around Louisville this week: Janet Jackson, Santa, speakeasy party & more," 29 Nov. 2017
This former Indian trading post on stilts overlooking Chokoluskee Bay served a small community of hardy and often ornery individualists.

— bonnie gross and bob rountree, OrlandoSentinel.com, "Explore Florida's Collier County: Ten Thousand Islands, the easy way," 6 May 2018
The best bungalows are built on stilts overlooking the Tufi fjord, where the water is dotted with outriggers ferrying children, fish, and fruit.

— sophy roberts, Condé Nast Traveler, "Navigating Tradition and Tourism in Papua New Guinea," 3 May 2018
Pines Day, Saturday, noon-6 p.m. Pembroke Pines celebrates its 58th birthday with a circus/carnival, live music, singers and dancers, stilt walkers, jugglers, strolling magicians, children’s rides, craft booths and carnival games.

— jennifer jhon, South Florida Parenting, "Pines Day, food fests top family fun this weekend," 25 Apr. 2018

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

in the meaning defined at sense 1a

See Words from the same year

stilt

verb

Definition of stilt

stilted; stilting; stilts

transitive verb

: to raise on or as if on stilts

Recent Examples of stilt from the Web

From steel drums to stilt walkers, Trinidad and Tobago provides lively entertainment for the whole family and brings the festive music of the Caribbean to the heart of Harford County.

— aegis staff, The Aegis, "Ladew Gardens sets its 2018 summer concerts," 29 May 2018
The language of the documents can be stilted, even bureaucratic.

— ruth franklin, New York Times, "Tracy K. Smith, America’s Poet Laureate, Is a Woman With a Mission," 10 Apr. 2018
From photo ops with the Easter Bunny to stilt walkers and juggling sessions to face painting and more, entertainment for all ages will unfold from morning to night.

— grace dickinson, Philly.com, "Where to celebrate Easter with the family in Philadelphia this year," 22 Mar. 2018
But even that is not enough to save this awkwardly written, stilted and sometimes just plain cruel movie.

— laura demarco, cleveland.com, "Woody Allen's 'Wonder Wheel' with Kate Winslet, Justin Timberlake bleak despite Coney Island setting: Review," 11 Dec. 2017
Diggs and supporting actress Robinne Lee, who plays Madison's best friend, Chelsea, bring an ease to the onscreen dynamic, which is so stilted between Ilonzeh and Bishop.

— katie walsh, latimes.com, "' 'Til Death Do Us Part' tries to treat domestic abuse seriously, but comes off as seriously soapy," 29 Sep. 2017
The dialogue is stilted, the costumes are too literal, the sets are drab and the action scenes are poorly directed and hard to follow.

— kelly lawler, USA TODAY, "Review: 'Marvel's Inhumans' is inhumanly awful," 28 Sep. 2017
Weick’s diction is often stilted, and his vehemence seems cliché as Marx rails against the System, the 1-percenters, the Military-Industrial Complex, Big Pharma, and so on.

— toby zinman, Philly.com, "'Marx in Soho': More of a harangue than a play," 8 Sep. 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

First Known Use of stilt

1649

in the meaning defined above

See Words from the same year

NEW! Time Traveler

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