protruding

American  

[proh-troo-ding, pruh-] / proʊˈtru dɪŋ, prə- /

adjective

1. projecting outward, as from a surface.

   The driver pulled in too close to the curb and knocked over the sign with his truck’s protruding side mirror.

   The phone’s protruding camera lens is at a high risk for getting scratched.

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Other Word Forms

• nonprotruding
  adjective
• unprotruding
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of protruding

protrud(e) ( def. ) + -ing ² ( def. )

Explanation

Something protruding is sticking out. When you're playing hide and seek, be sure your whole body is under the bed — a protruding arm or leg will give away your hiding spot. The part sticking out of an otherwise flat surface can be described as protruding. If a display is protruding from a storefront, you have to walk around it. If you have a big, red zit protruding from your forehead, you should probably see a dermatologist. And if you look up the mountainside and see rocks protruding, look out! Protruding rocks tend to fall down, which could put a damper on the hike.

Example Sentences

For the first time, they became noticeable straight-on, protruding outward and appearing to sit higher on her face.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 7, 2026

They used the dental report and images to create the shape of the man's lower face and mouth, identifying that he had protruding teeth and a left-sided cross bite.

From BBC • Mar. 8, 2026

An AFP photograph showed a red area with several brownish scabs protruding above his shirt collar on the right side of the neck of the 79-year-old president, the oldest ever elected.

From Barron's • Mar. 2, 2026

Hidden behind each protruding eye are two long, spiraled optic nerves -- a configuration not documented in any other lizard species.

From Science Daily • Nov. 19, 2025

Sparks flew as the electronic wings scraped a protruding pipe.

From "Artemis Fowl" by Eoin Colfer

Related Words

• arresting
• conspicuous
• pertinent
• weighty