bellybutton

or bel·ly but·ton

[ bel-ee-buht-n ]

/ ˈbɛl iˌbʌt n /

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noun

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Origin of bellybutton

An Americanism dating back to 1875–80; belly + button

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use bellybutton in a sentence

Gay marriage was the hot-button fight on the left and right.
Jeb Bush’s Unseen Anti-Gay Marriage Emails|Jackie Kucinich|January 9, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Clad in a blue, striped button-down, a silver watch adorning his left wrist, Huckabee beams on the cover.
Huckabee 2016: Bend Over and Take It Like a Prisoner!|Olivia Nuzzi|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST
She attends hip-hop and belly dance classes (known as Arabic dance in Iran) just to shine more at parties.
Iran’s Becoming a Footloose Nation as Dance Lessons Spread|IranWire|January 2, 2015|DAILY BEAST
In a hot-button cover story interview with Vanity Fair, Lawrence explained it best.
Butts, Brawls, and Bill Cosby: The Biggest Celebrity Scandals of 2014 |Kevin Fallon|December 27, 2014|DAILY BEAST

He holds them on his belly and looks at them with a magnifying glass, studying possible escape routes.
Alfred Hitchcock’s Fade to Black: The Great Director’s Final Days|David Freeman|December 13, 2014|DAILY BEAST
"I verily believe they're gone to look at my button," cried Davy, beginning to laugh, in spite of his fears.
Davy and The Goblin|Charles E. Carryl
There is a companion who condoleth with his friend for his belly's sake, and he will take up a shield against the enemy.
The Bible, Douay-Rheims Version|Various
In the beautiful modelled violin this is provided for in the rise of the back and belly.
Violins and Violin Makers|Joseph Pearce
Delancy caught it with one arm and a belly and passed it back through the door to Squid Murphy who was standing just outside.
Hooded Detective, Volume III No. 2, January, 1942|Various
Button Gwinnett, one of the signers, died of a wound received in a duel.
The Every Day Book of History and Chronology|Joel Munsell

British Dictionary definitions for bellybutton

bellybutton

/ (ˈbɛlɪˌbʌtən) /

noun

an informal name for the navel

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012