tutu

¹

[too-too, ty-ty]

noun

plural

tutus 

1. a short, full skirt, usually made of several layers of tarlatan or tulle, worn by ballerinas.

Tutu

²

[too-too]

noun

1. Desmond (Mpilo) 1931–2021, South African Anglican clergyman and civil rights activist: Nobel Peace Prize 1984; archbishop of Cape Town 1986–96.

Tutu

¹

/ ˈtuːtuː /

noun

1. Desmond . born 1931, South African clergyman, noted for his opposition to apartheid: Anglican Bishop of Johannesburg (1984–86) and Archbishop of Cape Town (1986–96); in 1995 he became leader of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, established to investigate human rights violations during the apartheid era. Nobel peace prize 1984

tutu

²

/ ˈtuːtuː /

noun

1. a very short skirt worn by ballerinas, made of projecting layers of stiffened sheer material

tutu

³

/ ˈtuːtuː /

noun

1. a shrub, Coriaria arborea , of New Zealand, having seeds that are poisonous to farm animals

Word History and Origins

Origin of tutu¹

Borrowed into English from French around 1925–30

Word History and Origins

Origin of tutu¹

from French, changed from the nursery word cucu backside, from cul , from Latin cūlus the buttocks

Origin of tutu²

Māori

Example Sentences

"And then," she told The Breakfast Club, "I went to school in a tutu and I started doing music."

From BBC

The tutu — it’s a tulle skirt, actually – was Field’s way of presenting an alternative to sweatpants.

From Salon

Then you go in, and there’s a lot of other little kids, and you’re all wearing tutus — that’s how they get you.

From Los Angeles Times

She was in the John Lewis store in Brent Cross, west London with her children to find a leotard, tutu and tights for her three-year-old daughter Emily, who was about to start ballet lessons.

From BBC

Ruble’s newfound affinity for ballet is part of a wider trend of adults who, after donning tights and tutus in their youth, are now returning to ballet studios in adulthood.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• dress 
• kilt 
• petticoat 
• sarong