protrude

verb

pro·​trude prō-ˈtrüd 

protruded; protruding

intransitive verb

: to jut out from the surrounding surface or context

a handkerchief protruding from his breast pocket

transitive verb

1

: to cause to project

2

archaic : to thrust forward

protrusible

prō-ˈtrü-sə-bəl 

-zə-

adjective

Did you know?

Since trudere means "to thrust" in Latin, protrude means basically "to thrust forward". If your neighbors' patio protrudes over your property boundary, you may want to discuss it with them. A protruding disc in your spine may have to be operated on sooner or later; superficial protrusions, such as corns or bunions, tend to be less serious than more deeply rooted ones.

Synonyms

• bag
• balloon
• beetle
• belly
• billow
• bulge
• bunch
• jut
• overhang
• poke
• pooch [chiefly dialect]
• pouch
• pout
• project
• stand out
• start
• stick out
• swell

Examples of protrude in a Sentence

His lower jaw protrudes slightly.

A handkerchief protruded from his shirt pocket.

Recent Examples on the Web

Elsewhere in the stream, Kodak attempts to have a normal conversation with the Twitch streamer before totally bugging out, protruding his eyes with a face full of sweat. —Marc Griffin, VIBE.com, 5 Nov. 2024

The discovery sheds light on why arthropods evolved appendages protruding out of their heads. —Katie Hunt, CNN, 29 Oct. 2024

Interestingly, Race mode isn’t street-legal, as the Active Long Tail protrudes well beyond the rear bumper, so it can only be activated when the GPS system detects the car is on a racetrack (or indeed a temporary circuit, such as the ones in Las Vegas or Monaco). —Tim Pitt, Robb Report, 6 Oct. 2024

These fish use legs to taste the seafloor (link in description) Watch on This discovery wasn’t necessarily a surprise, as other types of fish, such as goatfish and catfish, have taste receptors on the barbels that protrude from their heads. —Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 27 Sep. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Latin protrudere, from pro- + trudere to thrust — more at threat

First Known Use

1620, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 2

Kids Definition

protrude

verb

pro·​trude prō-ˈtrüd 

protruded; protruding

: to stick out or cause to stick out

Medical Definition

protrude

verb

pro·​trude prō-ˈtrüd 

protruded; protruding

transitive verb

: to cause to project

the mentalis raises and protrudes the lower lip

—Gray's Anatomy

intransitive verb

: to jut out from the surrounding surface