stilt

stilt
—stiltlike, adj.
/stilt/, n.
1. one of two poles, each with a support for the foot at some distance above the bottom end, enabling the wearer to walk with his or her feet above the ground.
2. one of several posts supporting a structure built above the surface of land or water.
3. Ceram. a three-armed support for an object being fired.
4. any of several white-and-black wading birds, esp. Cladorhynchus leucocephalus and Himantopus himantopus, having long, bright pink legs and a long, slender black bill.
5. Brit. Dial.
a. a plow handle.
b. a crutch.
v.t.
6. to raise on or as if on stilts.
[1275-1325; ME stilte; c. LG stilte pole, G Stelze]

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Any of certain species of shorebirds (family Recurvirostridae) that have long thin legs and a long slender bill and inhabit warm regions worldwide.

Stilts, 14–18 in. (35–45 cm) long, live around ponds, probing in mud and weedy shallows for crustaceans and other small aquatic animals. The common stilt (Himantopus himantopus) is variably black-and-white with pink legs and red eyes.

Black-necked stilt (Himantopus himantopus mexicanus)

G.W. Robinson
Root Resources

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▪ bird
 any of certain species of shorebirds belonging to the family Recurvirostridae (order Charadriiformes), characterized by long thin legs and a long slender bill. Stilts are about 35 to 45 centimetres (14 to 18 inches) in length. They live in warm regions, around ponds, where they probe in mud and weedy shallows for crustaceans and other small aquatic animals.

      The common stilt (Himantopus himantopus) is variably black and white with pink legs and red eyes. Among its races are the black-winged stilt (H. h. himantopus), of the Old World, and the black-necked stilt (H. h. mexicanus), of the New World; and very dark birds occur in New Zealand.

      The banded, or red-breasted, stilt (Cladorhynchus leucocephala), of Australia, is white with brown wings, reddish breast band, and yellowish legs.

▪ toy
      one of a pair of poles with footrests, used for walking. Stilts were originally designed for use in crossing rivers and marshes. As a means of amusement, they have been used by all peoples of all ages, as well as by the inhabitants of marshy or flooded districts. The city of Namur, in Belgium, which formerly suffered from the overflowing of the Sambre and Meuse rivers, has been celebrated for its stilt walkers for many centuries. Not only the townspeople but also the soldiers used stilts. The Governor of Namur, having promised the archduke Albert (about 1600) a company of soldiers that should neither ride nor walk, sent a detachment on stilts, which so pleased the Archduke that he conferred upon the city perpetual exemption from the beer tax—no small privilege.

      Stilts used by children are usually long, the upper half being held under the arms. They are not strapped to the leg.

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Universalium. 2010.

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Synonyms:
, (Himantopus melanopterus)


Look at other dictionaries:

  • Stilt — Stilt, n. [OE. stilte; akin to Dan. stylte, Sw. stylta, LG. & D. stelt, OHG. stelza, G. stelze, and perh. to E. stout.] 1. A pole, or piece of wood, constructed with a step or loop to raise the foot above the ground in walking. It is sometimes… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • stilt — stilt; stilt·ed; stilt·ed·ness; stilt·er; stilt·ed·ly; …   English syllables

  • stilt — [stilt] n. [ME stilte, prob. < MLowG or MDu stelte, akin to Ger stelze: for base see STILL1] 1. either of a pair of poles, each with a footrest somewhere along its length, used for walking with the feet above the ground, as by children at play …   English World dictionary

  • stilt´ed|ly — stilt|ed «STIHL tihd», adjective. 1. stiffly dignified or formal: »stilted conversation. He has a stilted manner of speaking. There were letters of stilted penitence to his father, for some wrong doing (Elizabeth Gaskell). SYNONYM(S): pompous. 2 …   Useful english dictionary

  • stilt|ed — «STIHL tihd», adjective. 1. stiffly dignified or formal: »stilted conversation. He has a stilted manner of speaking. There were letters of stilted penitence to his father, for some wrong doing (Elizabeth Gaskell). SYNONYM(S): pompous. 2.… …   Useful english dictionary

  • Stilt — Stilt, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Stilted}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Stilting}.] To raise on stilts, or as if on stilts. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • stilt — [stılt] n [C usually plural] [Date: 1300 1400; Origin: Probably from Low German] 1.) one of a set of poles that support a building above the ground or above water on stilts ▪ a house built on stilts 2.) one of two poles which you can stand on and …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • stilt — [ stılt ] noun count 1. ) one of two long narrow pieces of wood with places to put your feet on so that you can stand on them to walk high above the ground 2. ) one of a set of posts that a house is built on to raise it above the ground or above… …   Usage of the words and phrases in modern English

  • stilt — early 14c., a crutch, from P.Gmc. *steltijon (Cf. M.L.G., M.Du. stelte stilt, O.H.G. stelza plow handle, crutch ), from PIE root *stel to put, stand (see STALL (Cf. stall) (n.1)). Application to wooden poles for walking across marshy ground, etc …   Etymology dictionary

  • stilt — ► NOUN 1) either of a pair of upright poles with supports for the feet enabling the user to walk raised above the ground. 2) each of a set of posts or piles supporting a building. 3) a long billed wading bird with very long slender legs. ORIGIN… …   English terms dictionary

  • stilt|er — «STIHL tuhr», noun. a person who walks on or as if on stilts …   Useful english dictionary

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