Borrowed into English from French around 1925–30
A tutu is a short fluffy skirt that ballerinas wear, usually with tights and a leotard. Tutus are also popular with young children who wear them for fun — those tutus are often paired with superhero capes and tiaras. There are two main kinds of tutus: a classical tutu and a romantic tutu. The first has a short, stiff skirt attached to a bodice, and the second has a longer, flowing skirt. Many tutu skirts are made of tulle, a kind of netting that's stiff and lightweight, and this may be the origin of the word tutu, although neither word experts nor ballet experts are certain.
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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
I stand in the wings, dressed in a lush black tutu embellished with black feathers and blood-red flowers.
From "Taking Flight: From War Orphan to Star Ballerina" by Michaela DePrince
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.
