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

However, a closer look at the footage revealed that the insects never touched the spider webs with their protruding front legs. —Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 4 Dec. 2024

The image, showing two bare feet protruding from a gap between rocks, was impossible to escape on the internet this week. —Frederick Dreier, Outside Online, 26 Oct. 2024

Surgery is needed if there are symptoms or if the protruding intestine becomes cut off from the blood supply (known as strangulation).4 Umbilical Granuloma An umbilical granuloma is a common growth that infants develop after the umbilical stump falls off. —Mark Gurarie, Health, 12 Oct. 2024

Warmer, drier conditions are changing autumn in Arizona The future of the aspens at risk Beneath the towering white trunks of the aspens, Stoddard looks to the thin plants protruding from the ground for clues to the fate of the peaks’ forest. —John Leos, The Arizona Republic, 18 Nov. 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