protuberance

[ proh-too-ber-uhns, -tyoo-, pruh- ]

noun

1. the condition, state, or quality of being protuberant.
2. a protuberant part or thing; projection or bulge.

   Synonyms: swelling, protrusion

Other Words From

• pro·tu·ber·an·tial [proh-too-b, uh, -, ran, -sh, uh, l, -tyoo-], adjective
• nonpro·tuber·ance noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of protuberance¹

First recorded in 1640–50; protuber(ant) + -ance

Example Sentences

He had continued spinning on his head despite developing the “protuberance” over 19 years of breakdancing.

From BBC

It is at the southernmost tip along the soft, V-shaped protuberance of coastline that runs between Panama City and Carabelle and was once a hidden slice of secluded paradise with the Gulf on one side and St. Joseph Bay on the other.

From Salon

For example, why were American women encouraged to torture themselves with cage-like corsets, don yards of cumbersome cloth and carry around a heavy protuberance called a bustle?

From Washington Post

Normally, turkeys top out around 20 pounds, with fleshy wattles that hang down their necks and another protuberance called a snood hanging over the beak.

From Washington Post

After friends and family suggested the protuberance might be a contender for the Guinness World Records, the couple submitted an application for “the world’s heaviest potato,” sat back and waited.

From New York Times