Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary · 1913

Strut

Strut , transitive verb

[Old English struten, strouten, to swell; akin to German strozen to be swelled, to be puffed up, to strut, Danish strutte.]

1.
To swell; to bulge out. [Rare]
The bellying canvas strutted with the gale. — Dryden
2.
To walk with a lofty, proud gait, and erect head; to walk with affected dignity.
Does he not hold up his head,... and strut in his gait? — Shakespeare

Strut , noun

[For senses 2 & 3 compare LG. strutt rigid.]

1.
The act of strutting; a pompous step or walk.
2.
(Architecture) In general, any piece of a frame which resists thrust or pressure in the direction of its own length. See Brace, and Illust. of Frame, and Roof.
3.
(Engineering) Any part of a machine or structure, of which the principal function is to hold things apart; a brace subjected to compressive stress; -- the opposite of stay, and tie.

Strut , transitive verb

To hold apart. Compare Strut, n., 3.

Strut , adjective

Protuberant. [Obsolete] — Holland