tutu

noun

tu·​tu ˈtü-(ˌ)tü 

: a short projecting skirt worn by a ballerina

Illustration of tutu

Examples of tutu in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Later, CeCe dresses her up in a pink tutu and makes up a dance for her kitten. — Parents, 31 July 2026

Paired with knee-high, lug-sole boots, a cutsey tutu becomes oh-so cool. — Christina Perrier, InStyle, 30 July 2026

The pair celebrated their little one’s first birthday with a blowout bash in 2017, featuring giant unicorn balloon animals and a rainbow tutu for the birthday girl. — Sophie Dodd, PEOPLE, 14 July 2026

Jonah Paz, with scraggly brown hair and clean features, wears a baggy red flannel and gray pants; Yaelle Avtan’s got a plume of blonde hair, pink blouse, and a tutu-y green skirt. — Kieran Press-Reynolds, Pitchfork, 15 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

French, from (baby talk) tutu backside

First Known Use

1913, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for tutu

• accrue
• ado
• ainu
• aircrew
• airscrew
• anew
• askew
• baboo
• babu
• bamboo
• beaucoup
• bijou

Kids Definition

tutu

noun

tu·​tu ˈtü-tü 

: a short skirt that extends out and is worn by a ballerina

Etymology

French tutu "ballerina skirt," from baby talk tutu "backside"

Biographical Definition

Tutu

biographical name

ˈtü-ˌtü 

Desmond Mpilo 1931–2021 South African clergyman and political activist