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Synonyms

tutu

1 American  
[too-too, ty-ty] / ˈtu tu, tüˈtü /

noun

plural

tutus

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

Tutu 2 American  
[too-too] / ˈtu tu /

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 British  
/ 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

"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
tutu 2 British  
/ ˈtuːtuː /

noun

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

"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
tutu 3 British  
/ ˈtuːtuː /

noun

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

"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

Etymology

Origin of tutu

Borrowed into English from French around 1925–30

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.

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 hat might have offended some, but otherwise, it’s a silly delight on par with the second season’s pigeon purse and that impractical tutu that defines “Sex and the City.”

From Salon • Jun. 7, 2025

While she was recovering from treatment, Ruble made her a tutu with miniature get-well notes attached to it.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 25, 2024

Luna was dressed in pink leggings and a pink tutu, with a silicone bib around her neck and a soft pink hat on her head.

From New York Times • Apr. 30, 2024

The crowd was blurry and colorful around her—someone’s tutu and butterfly wings, a person with a unicorn head, Benjamin Franklin, and a group of people with neon-colored wigs.

From "Book Scavenger" by Jennifer Chambliss Bertman

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.