tutu
noun
a short, full skirt, usually made of several layers of tarlatan or tulle, worn by ballerinas.
tutu
1 American
[too-too, ty -ty]
/ ˈtu tu, tüˈtü /
noun
-
tutus
plural
Tutu
2
American
[too-too]
/ ˈtu tu /
noun
Tutu
1
British
/ ˈtuːtuː /
noun
tutu
2
British
/ ˈtuːtuː /
noun
tutu
3
British
/ ˈtuːtuː /
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of tutu
Borrowed into English from French around 1925–30
Explanation
A tutu is a short fluffy skirt that ballerinas wear, usually with tights and a leotard. Tutus are also popular with young children who wear them for fun — those tutus are often paired with superhero capes and tiaras. There are two main kinds of tutus: a classical tutu and a romantic tutu. The first has a short, stiff skirt attached to a bodice, and the second has a longer, flowing skirt. Many tutu skirts are made of tulle, a kind of netting that's stiff and lightweight, and this may be the origin of the word tutu, although neither word experts nor ballet experts are certain.
Vocabulary lists containing tutu
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
When I made the tiny dancer in my music box turn pirouette after pirouette, I was captivated by more than just her pretty miniature tutu.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 11, 2026
There is also a costume inspired by crinoline, the stiff or structured petticoat designed to hold out a skirt or tutu, but whimsically reimagined using neoprene.
From Barron's ● Feb. 12, 2026
The tutu — it’s a tulle skirt, actually – was Field’s way of presenting an alternative to sweatpants.
From Salon ● Jun. 7, 2025
Once Abigail goes full vampire, she wears a white-feathered tutu; you know she’s coming when you hear Tchaikovsky’s swan theme.
From New York Times ● Apr. 22, 2024
On the night table a ballerina held aloft a lamp shade, and a soft pink light bathed her porcelain tutu, accentuating the curves of her strong legs.
From "When I Was Puerto Rican" by Esmeralda Santiago
The process is used in other countries around the world and was chosen as the cremation method of anti-apartheid campaigner Archbishop Desmond Tutu.
From BBC ● Mar. 2, 2026
For Bekker from the Desmond Tutu Foundation it is important to remember the connection between South Africa and the rest of the world.
From BBC ● Feb. 6, 2026
Stafford got the ball one last time, but he missed Xavier Smith on a route, and Tutu Atwell and Nacua could not come up with deep passes.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 29, 2025
With several receivers playing well and certain needs on special teams, Rams coach Sean McVay has been noncommittal about playing receiver Tutu Atwell.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 2, 2025
In addition to responding to the government, I wanted to thank publicly the UDF for its fine work and to congratulate Bishop Tutu on his prize, adding that his award belonged to all the people.
From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela
The choreographer asked her costume designer, Robert Perdziola, to dress her dancers in a variety of looks, with flouncy tutus for the women in her first movement and limp, longer skirts in the others.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 13, 2026
Blessedly, these ballerinas didn’t learn their skills in prison or the foster system, and their tutus are not fodder for a satanic pyre.
From Salon ● Mar. 29, 2026
In Paris, the series shot in the Palais Garnier, including inside the costume studio, where tutus famously hang from the ceiling, as well as Théâtre du Châtelet and Opéra Comique.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 17, 2025
Edgar Degas is here, with his scenes of ballet dancers onstage and in rehearsal, their confection-like tutus and black-ribboned necks.
From New York Times ● Mar. 26, 2024
All of the tutus were covered with feathers.
From "The Long-Lost Home" by Maryrose Wood
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
