strut

[struht]

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verb (used without object), strut·ted, strut·ting.

to walk with a vain, pompous bearing, as with head erect and chest thrown out, as if expecting to impress observers.

noun

the act of strutting.
a strutting walk or gait.

Idioms

strut one's stuff, to dress, behave, perform, etc., one's best in order to impress others; show off.

Origin of strut

before 1000; Middle English strouten to protrude stiffly, swell, bluster, Old English strūtian to struggle, derivative of *strūt (whence Middle English strut strife)

Related formsstrut·ter, noun

Synonyms for strut

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1. parade, flourish. Strut and swagger refer especially to carriage in walking. Strut implies swelling pride or pompousness; to strut is to walk with a stiff, pompous, seemingly affected or self-conscious gait: A turkey struts about the barnyard. Swagger implies a domineering, sometimes jaunty, superiority or challenge, and a self-important manner: to swagger down the street.

strut

[struht]

noun

any of various structural members, as in trusses, primarily intended to resist longitudinal compression.

verb (used with object), strut·ted, strut·ting.

to brace or support by means of a strut or struts.

Origin of strut

First recorded in 1565–75; obscurely akin to strut¹

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words for strut

sashay, swagger, stalk, prance, stride, swank, parade, sweep, mince, grandstand, flaunt, flounce, peacock

Examples from the Web for strut

Contemporary Examples of strut

Her curves found a way to strut through baggy denim in Nights in Rodanthe.
Is Diane Lane Too Sexy for Hillary?
Anna Brand
July 29, 2013
Her skintight sparkly black dress did not look too easy to strut down the catwalk in.
15 Hilarious Pageant Moments
June 18, 2013
The kids hold what they call a “ramp walk,” a mock fashion show where we all dress up and strut on a makeshift stage.
Hysteria Strikes Mumbai School Kids
Dilip D’Souza
March 29, 2013
On television, real housewives, basketball wives, and assorted other caricatures all strut forth baring cleavage.
Helen Gurley Brown’s Fashion Sense: the Power of Cleavage
Robin Givhan
August 14, 2012
Be prepared: It will be tough Watching Gingrich strut his stuff Stay tuned to hear him bloviate On narrow win in his home state.
The Song of Newt Gingrich: From Longshot To Hotshot To No Shot
April 26, 2012

Historical Examples of strut

The strut that holds the propeller-shaft is shown in Fig. 91 .
Boys' Book of Model Boats
Raymond Francis Yates
A strut joint is a form of miter joint used in making trusses.
Handwork in Wood
William Noyes
They like better to strut about with their faces painted all the colors of the rainbow.
The Nursery, June 1873, Vol. XIII.
Various
They may safely be left to strut about their uneasy hour and be forgotten.
In Our First Year of the War
Woodrow Wilson
There was a time when the realization caused him to strut a little, but he'd got over it.
Eight Keys to Eden
Mark Irvin Clifton

British Dictionary definitions for strut

strut

verb struts, strutting or strutted

(intr) to walk in a pompous manner; swagger
(tr) to support or provide with struts
strut one's stuff informal to behave or perform in a proud and confident manner; show off

noun

a structural member used mainly in compression, esp as part of a framework
an affected, proud, or stiff walk

Derived Formsstrutter, nounstrutting, adjectivestruttingly, adverb

Word Origin for strut

C14 strouten (in the sense: swell, stand out; C16: to walk stiffly), from Old English strūtian to stand stiffly; related to Low German strutt stiff

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for strut

"walk in a vain, important manner," Old English strutian "to stand out stiffly," from Proto-Germanic *strut- (cf. Danish strutte, German strotzen "to be puffed up, be swelled," German Strauß "fight"), from PIE root *ster- "strong, firm, stiff, rigid" (see sterile). Originally of the air or the attitude; modern sense, focused on the walk, first recorded 1510s. Cognate with Old English ðrutung "anger, arrogance" (see throat). To strut (one's) stuff is black slang, first recorded 1926, from strut as the name of a dance popular from c.1900.

"supporting brace," 1580s, perhaps from strut (v.), or a cognate word in Old Norse or Low German (cf. Low German strutt "rigid"); ultimately from Proto-Germanic *strutoz-, from root *strut- (see strut (v.)).