conveyor belt

American  

noun

Machinery.

1. an endless belt or chain, set of rollers, etc., for carrying materials or objects short distances, as from one part of a building to another.

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conveyor belt British  

noun

1. a flexible endless strip of fabric or linked plates driven by rollers and used to transport objects, esp in a factory

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Etymology

Origin of conveyor belt

First recorded in 1905–10

Example Sentences

As it sinks, it pulls heat, carbon and nutrients downward, helping drive a global system of currents sometimes described as a conveyor belt.

From Science Daily • Apr. 30, 2026

Hundreds of discarded batteries rattle along a conveyor belt into a crusher in a remote plant in northern India, fuelling a multi-billion-dollar industry that is bolstering the country's geopolitical ambitions.

From Barron's • Feb. 18, 2026

“It doesn’t just stop a blade. It spreads the kinetic energy across the fabric. The yards can work almost like a conveyor belt, preventing energy from concentrating at a single point.”

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 15, 2026

The conveyor belt of talent has become a crucial part of Frankfurt's successful business model, with the club earning £128m alone on the sales of Marmoush and Ekitike last year.

From BBC • Jan. 9, 2026

I clean the black oil that crust on the conveyor belt and rollers and teeth.

From "Taste of Salt: A Story of Modern Haiti" by Frances Temple