Strut

1. To swell; to bulge out.
2. 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. The act of strutting; a pompous step or walk.
4. To walk with a lofty, proud gait, and erect head; to walk with affected dignity.
5. Protuberant.
6. To hold apart. Cf. Strut, n., 3.
7. 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.