English edit

 
A girl on stilts (walking poles).
 
A stilt (bird)

Etymology edit

From Middle English stilte, stulte, from Old English *stilte, *stylte, from Proto-Germanic *stiltijǭ, *staltijǭ, *stultijǭ (stilt), from Proto-Germanic *stelt- (to be stiff). Akin to Danish stylte, Dutch stelt, German Stelze.

Pronunciation edit

  • IPA(key): /stɪlt/
  • (file)
  • Rhymes: -ɪlt

Noun edit

stilt (plural stilts)

  1. Either of two poles with footrests that allow someone to stand or walk above the ground; used mostly by entertainers.
  2. A tall pillar or post used to support some structure; often above water.
  3. Any of various wading birds of the genera Himantopus and Cladorhynchus, related to the avocet, that have extremely long legs and long thin bills.
  4. A crutch.
  5. The handle of a plough.

Derived terms edit

Translations edit

Verb edit

stilt (third-person singular simple present stilts, present participle stilting, simple past and past participle stilted)

  1. to raise on stilts, or as if on stilts
  2. to apply unnecessary pomp or formality

Further reading edit

Anagrams edit

Norwegian Bokmål edit

Alternative forms edit

Verb edit

stilt

  1. past participle of stille

Norwegian Nynorsk edit

Etymology 1 edit

Verb edit

stilt

  1. past participle of stilla

Etymology 2 edit

Adjective edit

stilt

  1. neuter singular of still