stilt

[ stilt ]

noun

1. one of two poles, each with a support for the foot at some distance above the bottom end, enabling the wearer to walk with their feet above the ground.
2. one of several posts supporting a structure built above the surface of land or water.
3. Ceramics. a three-armed support for an object being fired.
4. any of several wading birds with very long pink legs and a long, slender bill, including the black-and-white Cladorhynchus leucocephalus and Himantopus himantopus.
5. British Dialect.
   1. a plow handle.
   2. a crutch.

verb (used with object)

1. to raise on or as if on stilts.

stilt

/ stɪlt /

noun

1. either of a pair of two long poles with footrests on which a person stands and walks, as used by circus clowns
2. a long post or column that is used with others to support a building above ground level
3. any of several shore birds of the genera Himantopus and Cladorhynchus, similar to the avocets but having a straight bill

verb

1. tr to raise or place on or as if on stilts

Other Words From

• stiltlike adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of stilt¹

First recorded in 1275–1325; Middle English stilte; cognate with Low German stilte “pole,” German Stelze

Word History and Origins

Origin of stilt¹

C14 (in the sense: crutch, handle of a plough): related to Low German stilte pole, Norwegian stilta

Example Sentences

Dorris in turn threatened to raise it on stilts and move the flags to 100-foot flagpoles—a plan that turned out to be unnecessary because the state refused to add vegetation.

From The Daily Beast

The cheery blue puffs suspended atop ladderlike stilts suggested heaven was attainable.

From Washington Post

A Y Combinator alum, Stilt was founded five years ago by Rohit Mittal and Priyank Singh.

From TechCrunch

With the utmost caution he came over the high sedges on his stilt-like legs to the brink of the creek and posed.

From Project Gutenberg

These birds are of the plover family, and might with propriety be called the stilt plovers.

From Project Gutenberg

The stilt breeds as far north as eastern Oregon, but is little seen north of southern California in the winter.

From Project Gutenberg

You notice that, unlike those stilt-walkers, the herons, the flamingoes have webbed feet.

From Project Gutenberg

But he said he would do his best to run out the remainder on a stilt.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• heighten
• raise
• uplift