stilt

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.

• IPA^(key): /stɪlt/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɪlt

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.

   Coordinate terms: pile, pier, staddle stone

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.
   • 1829 December, [Walter Scott], “Introduction”, in Rob Roy (Waverley Novels; VII), Edinburgh: […] Cadell & Company; London: Simpkin & Marshall, →OCLC, pages lxxxvii–lxxxviii:

     He […] shot MacLaren when between the stilts of his plough, […]

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

• stilt on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

• Litts, tilts

• stillet (Etymology 3)

stilt

1. past participle of stille

stilt

1. past participle of stilla

stilt

1. neuter singular of still