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tutu

[ too-too; French ty-ty ]
/ ˈtu tu; French tĂŒËˆtĂŒ /
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noun, plural tu·tus [too-tooz; French ty-ty]. /ˈtu tuz; French tĂŒËˆtĂŒ/.
a short, full skirt, usually made of several layers of tarlatan or tulle, worn by ballerinas.
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Origin of tutu

Borrowed into English from French around 1925–30

Other definitions for tutu (2 of 2)

Tutu
[ too-too ]
/ ˈtu tu /

noun
Des·mond (Mpi·lo) [dez-muhnduhm-pee-loh], /ˈdɛz mənd əmˈpi loʊ/, 1931–2021, South African Anglican clergyman and civil rights activist: Nobel Peace Prize 1984; archbishop of Cape Town 1986–96.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use tutu in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for tutu (1 of 3)

tutu1
/ (ˈtuːtuː) /

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

Word Origin for tutu

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

British Dictionary definitions for tutu (2 of 3)

tutu2
/ (ˈtuːtuː) /

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

Word Origin for tutu

Māori

British Dictionary definitions for tutu (3 of 3)

Tutu
/ (ˈtuːtuː) /

noun
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
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