I. ˈstrət, usu -əd.+V verb
( strutted ; strutted ; strutting ; struts )
Etymology: Middle English strouten, from Old English strūtian to exert oneself; akin to Middle High German striuzen to resist, Old Norse strūtr conical upper part of a hood, Latin struma scrofulous enlargement of glands, goiter, Old English starian to stare — more at stare
intransitive verb
1. : to become turgid : swell
freshly cut unwilted tobacco plants strut when exposed to rain
2. : to walk with a lofty proud gait and an erect head ; especially : to walk with pomposity or affected dignity : swagger
pompous little dictator swells with pride and importance as he struts up and down his study — Martin Turnell
when he has a little spurt of good fortune, he patronizes all his friends and starts to strut — Erle Stanley Gardner
the simple words have been made to strut and posture and take on an emphasis which makes them ridiculous — Virginia Woolf
transitive verb
1. : to stretch or thrust out : protrude , bulge , distend
should the udder still remain highly strutted — Dairy Goat
2.
a. : to walk over with a swaggering gait : stride proudly over
b. : to deliver (as a speech or an actor's lines) in a swaggering manner
c. : to parade (as fine clothes or jewelry) with a show of pride
the boys who labor in the music halls and show shops strutted their most elaborate accomplishments — New York Times
•
- strut one's stuff
II. noun
( -s )
1.
a. : a bar (as a member in a frame, structure, or machine) designed to resist pressure in the direction of its length
a basement floor may be used as a strut between opposite walls — C.W.Dunham
a strut supporting a rafter
an airplane landing-gear strut
a strut of thin bone in the cavity of a long bone
— compare bracket , stay , tie ; see roof illustration
b. : an outboard support between the stern tube and the propeller on a ship having more than one propeller shaft
2.
a. : the act of strutting : a pompous step or walk
his walk was a self-important strut — A.W.Turnbull
b. : ostentation
III. transitive verb
( strutted ; strutted ; strutting ; struts )
Etymology: strut (II)
: to provide, stiffen, support, or hold apart with or as if with a strut