Meanings
present singular third person protrudes · participle present protruding · participle past protruded · past protruded
- transitiveTo cause (something) to extend above, beyond, or from a boundary or surface; to cause (something) to project or stick out.
Before me soared the great promontory of Penmaen Mawr, protruding itself into the sea […]
1781, Thomas Pennant, A Tour in Wales, volume 2, London, page 3035 more examples
With thoſe that ſtretcht along the Weſtern Coaſt; / To whom the old Creonian Towns were loſt, / Where high Epidium midſt th' Hibernian Waves, / Protrudes his Head, and all their Monſters braves.
1695, Richard Blackmore, “Book IX”, in Prince Arthur. An Heroick Poem. […], 2nd edition, London: […] Awnsham and John Churchil […], →OCLC, page 267He, when young Spring protrudes the burſting gems, / Marks the firſt bud, and ſucks the healthful gale / Into his freſhen'd ſoul; […]
1730, James Thomson, “Autumn. Inscribed to the Right Honourable Arthur Onslow, Esq; Speaker of the House of Commons.”, in The Seasons, London: [s.n.], →OCLC, page 185, lines 1213–1215Mr Hawley's disgust at the notion of the 'Pioneer' being edited by an emissary, and of Brooke becoming actively political—as if a tortoise of desultory pursuits should protrude its small head ambitiously and become rampant—was hardly equal to the annoyance felt by some members of Mr Brooke's own family.
1872, George Eliot [pseudonym; Mary Ann Evans], chapter XXXVII, in Middlemarch […], volume II, Edinburgh; London: William Blackwood and Sons, →OCLC, book IV, pages 247–248Then […] I perceived something stir. I made a run for this, but before I reached it a brown object separated itself, rose on two muddy legs and protruded two drooping, bleeding hands.
1900 December – 1901 August, H[erbert] G[eorge] Wells, “The First Making of Cavorite”, in The First Men in the Moon, London: George Newnes, […], published 1901, →OCLC, page 31The man protruded the tip of a white tongue, licked the place where his lips should have been, and then passed on.
1949 June 8, George Orwell [pseudonym; Eric Arthur Blair], chapter 9, in Nineteen Eighty-Four: A Novel, London: Secker & Warburg, →OCLC; republished [Australia]: Project Gutenberg of Australia, August 2001, part 2, page 205Synonyms: protuberate
- alsofigurativelyobsoletetransitiveTo thrust (someone or something) forward; to drive or force along.
[…] Palſies do oftneſt happen upon the left ſide if underſtood in this ſenſe; the moſt vigorous part protecting it ſelfe, and protruding the matter upon the weaker and leſſe reſiſtive ſide: […]
1646, Thomas Browne, “Of the Right and Left Hand”, in Pseudodoxia Epidemica: […], London: […] T[homas] H[arper] for Edward Dod, […], →OCLC, 4th book, pages 190–1913 more examples
1566, William Painter, The Palace of Pleasure, London: Richard Tottell and William Jones, Volume 1, The .xlj. Nouell, […] ye people standyng round about […] cried out, incontinently for the deliuerie of the Ladie, & for vengeaunce to be taken of hym, whiche so wickedly had protruded her into that daunger:
1655, Hamon L’Estrange, The Reign of King Charles, London: Edward Dod and Henry Seile, p. 169, For in case of general disturbance, nothing is more familiar then for several Factions, of several, and sometimes of contrary inclinations and interests, to protrude and drive on one and the same design, to several intents and purposes.
Of pure Space then, and Solidity, there are ſeveral (amongſt which, I confeſs my ſelf one) who perſuade themſelves, they have clear and diſtinct Ideas; and that they can think on Space, without any thing in it, that reſiſts, or is protruded by Body; […]
1689 (indicated as 1690), [John Locke], “Of Solidity”, in An Essay Concerning Humane Understanding. […], London: […] Eliz[abeth] Holt, for Thomas Basset, […], →OCLC, book II, § 5, page 50 - obsoleteraretransitiveTo cause (something) to emerge.
- intransitiveTo extend above, beyond, or from a boundary or surface; to bulge outward, to project, to stick out.
The old woman's face was wrinkled, her two remaining teeth protruded over her under lip, and her eyes were bright and piercing.
1837 April, Boz [pseudonym; Charles Dickens], “Oliver Mingles with New Associates, and, Going to a Funeral for the First Time, Forms an Unfavourable Notion of His Master’s Business”, in Oliver Twist; […], volume I, London: Richard Bentley, […], published 1838, →OCLC, page 833 more examples
A sheaf of papers was held in his shirt pocket by a little fence of fountain pens and yellow pencils; and from his hip pocket protruded a notebook with metal covers.
1939 April 14, John Steinbeck, chapter 20, in The Grapes of Wrath, New York, N.Y.: The Viking Press, →OCLC, page 272On the Visby-Västerhejde Railway there is a steam car. […] The upperworks consist of a short clerestory coach body with end platforms and the engine chimney protruding from the roof like a stovepipe.
1939 July, “Overseas Railways: Baltic Island Railways”, in Railway Magazine, page 49Archegonia are surrounded early in their development by the juvenile perianth, through the slender beak of which the elongated neck of the fertilized archegonium protrudes.
1992, Rudolf M[athias] Schuster, The Hepaticae and Anthocerotae of North America: East of the Hundredth Meridian, volume V, Chicago, Ill.: Field Museum of Natural History, →ISBN, page 5Synonyms: jut, protuberate
Synonyms & antonyms
verbTo cause (something) to extend above, beyond, or from a boundary or surface; to cause (something) to project or stick out.
verbTo extend above, beyond, or from a boundary or surface; to bulge outward, to project, to stick out.
More synonyms by meaning
verbbulge outward
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Proto-Indo-European*trewd-“to push, thrust”
- Proto-Indo-European*pro-“forward; toward”
- Latinprōtrūdere
- Englishprotrude
Learned borrowing from Latin prōtrūdere, the present active infinitive of prōtrūdō (“to push or thrust forwards; to protrude”), from prō- (“prefix denoting a forward direction or movement”) (from Proto-Indo-European *pro- (“forward; toward”)) + trūdō (“to push, shove, thrust”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *trewd- (“to push, thrust”)).
More words from Latin, Proto-Indo-European
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Arabic نَتَأَ, بَرَزَ
- نَتَأَ (nataʔa)(intransitive) to extend above, beyond, or from a boundary or surface
- بَرَزَ (baraza)(intransitive) to extend above, beyond, or from a boundary or surface
Bulgarian изпъквам, подавам се
- изпъквам (izpăkvam)(intransitive) to extend above, beyond, or from a boundary or surface
- подавам се (podavam se)(intransitive) to extend above, beyond, or from a boundary or surface
- стърча (stărča)(intransitive) to extend above, beyond, or from a boundary or surface
Chinese Mandarin 伸出, 凸出
- 伸出 (shēnchū)(intransitive) to extend above, beyond, or from a boundary or surface
- 凸出 (tūchū)(intransitive) to extend above, beyond, or from a boundary or surface
- 突出 (tūchū)(intransitive) to extend above, beyond, or from a boundary or surface
Czech vyčnívat, trčet
- vyčnívat(intransitive) to extend above, beyond, or from a boundary or surface
- trčet(intransitive) to extend above, beyond, or from a boundary or surface
Dutch uitsteken
- uitsteken(intransitive) to extend above, beyond, or from a boundary or surface
Finnish pistää, ulottaa
- pistää(transitive) to cause (something) to extend above, beyond, or from a boundary or surface
- ulottaa(transitive) to cause (something) to extend above, beyond, or from a boundary or surface
- harottaa(intransitive) to extend above, beyond, or from a boundary or surface
- pistää(intransitive) to extend above, beyond, or from a boundary or surface
- pullistua(intransitive) to extend above, beyond, or from a boundary or surface
- sojottaa(intransitive) to extend above, beyond, or from a boundary or surface
- törröttää(intransitive) to extend above, beyond, or from a boundary or surface
- työntyä(intransitive) to extend above, beyond, or from a boundary or surface
French dépasser, saillir
- dépasser(intransitive) to extend above, beyond, or from a boundary or surface
- saillir(intransitive) to extend above, beyond, or from a boundary or surface
German herausragen, herausstehen
- herausragen(intransitive) to extend above, beyond, or from a boundary or surface
- herausstehen(intransitive) to extend above, beyond, or from a boundary or surface
- hervorkragen(intransitive) to extend above, beyond, or from a boundary or surface
- hervorragen(intransitive) to extend above, beyond, or from a boundary or surface
- hervorstechend(intransitive) to extend above, beyond, or from a boundary or surface
- hervorstehen(intransitive) to extend above, beyond, or from a boundary or surface
- vorkragen(intransitive) to extend above, beyond, or from a boundary or surface
- vorstehen(intransitive) to extend above, beyond, or from a boundary or surface
Greek εισχωρώ
- εισχωρώ (eischoró)(intransitive) to extend above, beyond, or from a boundary or surface
Hebrew בלט
- בלט(intransitive) to extend above, beyond, or from a boundary or surface
Hungarian előretol, kinyújt
- előretol(transitive) to cause (something) to extend above, beyond, or from a boundary or surface
- kinyújt(transitive) to cause (something) to extend above, beyond, or from a boundary or surface
- kiölt(transitive) to cause (something) to extend above, beyond, or from a boundary or surface
- kitol(transitive) to cause (something) to extend above, beyond, or from a boundary or surface
- eláll(intransitive) to extend above, beyond, or from a boundary or surface
- előreáll(intransitive) to extend above, beyond, or from a boundary or surface
- előrenyúlik(intransitive) to extend above, beyond, or from a boundary or surface
- előreugrik(intransitive) to extend above, beyond, or from a boundary or surface
- kiáll(intransitive) to extend above, beyond, or from a boundary or surface
- kidudorodik(intransitive) to extend above, beyond, or from a boundary or surface
- kiemelkedik(intransitive) to extend above, beyond, or from a boundary or surface
- kinyúlik(intransitive) to extend above, beyond, or from a boundary or surface
Icelandic skaga fram, standa út
- skaga fram(intransitive) to extend above, beyond, or from a boundary or surface
- standa út(intransitive) to extend above, beyond, or from a boundary or surface
Italian protrudere, protendersi
- protrudere(intransitive) to extend above, beyond, or from a boundary or surface
- protendersi(intransitive) to extend above, beyond, or from a boundary or surface
- sporgere(intransitive) to extend above, beyond, or from a boundary or surface
- sportare(intransitive) to extend above, beyond, or from a boundary or surface
Japanese 出張る, 出っ張る
- 出張る (debaru)(intransitive) to extend above, beyond, or from a boundary or surface
- 出っ張る (depparu)(intransitive) to extend above, beyond, or from a boundary or surface
- 突き出る (tsukideru)(intransitive) to extend above, beyond, or from a boundary or surface
Korean 불거지다
- 불거지다 (bulgeojida)(intransitive) to extend above, beyond, or from a boundary or surface
Latin mineō, prōmineō
- mineō(intransitive) to extend above, beyond, or from a boundary or surface
- prōmineō(intransitive) to extend above, beyond, or from a boundary or surface
Māori kounu, pūrero
- kounu(intransitive) to extend above, beyond, or from a boundary or surface
- pūrero(intransitive) to extend above, beyond, or from a boundary or surface
- whakapupū(intransitive) to extend above, beyond, or from a boundary or surface
- whātero(intransitive) to extend above, beyond, or from a boundary or surface
- whererei(intransitive) to extend above, beyond, or from a boundary or surface
Persian بیرون زدن
- بیرون زدن (birun zadan)(intransitive) to extend above, beyond, or from a boundary or surface
Polish wystawiać, wystawić
- wystawiać(transitive) to cause (something) to extend above, beyond, or from a boundary or surface
- wystawić(transitive) to cause (something) to extend above, beyond, or from a boundary or surface
- sterczeć(intransitive) to extend above, beyond, or from a boundary or surface
- wystawać(intransitive) to extend above, beyond, or from a boundary or surface
Portuguese protrair
- protrair(intransitive) to extend above, beyond, or from a boundary or surface
Russian торча́ть, выдаю́щийся
- торча́ть (torčátʹ)(intransitive) to extend above, beyond, or from a boundary or surface
- выдаю́щийся (vydajúščijsja)(intransitive) to extend above, beyond, or from a boundary or surface
- выдава́ться (vydavátʹsja)(intransitive) to extend above, beyond, or from a boundary or surface
- высо́вываться (vysóvyvatʹsja)(intransitive) to extend above, beyond, or from a boundary or surface
- выступа́ть (vystupátʹ)(intransitive) to extend above, beyond, or from a boundary or surface
- выступающий (vystupajuščij)(intransitive) to extend above, beyond, or from a boundary or surface
Slovak vyčnievať
- vyčnievať(intransitive) to extend above, beyond, or from a boundary or surface
Spanish asomar, protruir
- asomar(transitive) to cause (something) to extend above, beyond, or from a boundary or surface
- protruir(intransitive) to extend above, beyond, or from a boundary or surface
- sobresalir(intransitive) to extend above, beyond, or from a boundary or surface
- asomar(intransitive) to extend above, beyond, or from a boundary or surface
Swedish stå ut, sticka ut
- stå ut(intransitive) to extend above, beyond, or from a boundary or surface
- sticka ut(intransitive) to extend above, beyond, or from a boundary or surface
Ukrainian вистава́ти, витика́тися
- вистава́ти (vystaváty)(intransitive) to extend above, beyond, or from a boundary or surface
- витика́тися (vytykátysja)(intransitive) to extend above, beyond, or from a boundary or surface
Welsh aelio, allwthio
- aelio(intransitive) to extend above, beyond, or from a boundary or surface
- allwthio(intransitive) to extend above, beyond, or from a boundary or surface
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with protrude
Cite this entry
protrude. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/protrude
“protrude.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/protrude. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “protrude,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/protrude.
Source: protrude on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.