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belt

[ belt ]

/ bɛlt /

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See synonyms for: belt / belted on Thesaurus.com

noun

a band of flexible material, as leather or cord, for encircling the waist.

any encircling or transverse band, strip, or stripe.

an elongated region having distinctive properties or characteristics: a belt of cotton plantations.

Machinery. an endless flexible band passing about two or more pulleys, used to transmit motion from one pulley to the other or others or to convey materials and objects.

Military.

a cloth strip with loops or a series of metal links with grips, for holding cartridges fed into an automatic gun.
a band of leather or webbing, worn around the waist and used as a support for weapons, ammunition, etc.

a series of armor plates forming part of the hull of a warship.

a broad, flexible strip of rubber, canvas, wood, etc., moved along the surface of a fresh concrete pavement to put a finish on it after it has been floated.

a road, railroad, or the like, encircling an urban center to handle peripheral traffic.

Slang. a hard blow or hit.

Slang. a shot of liquor, especially as swallowed in one gulp.

Automotive. a strip of material used in a type of motor-vehicle tire (belted tire ), where it is placed between the carcass and the tread for reinforcement.

verb (used with object)

to gird or furnish with a belt.

to surround or mark as if with a belt or band: Garbage cans were belted with orange paint.

to fasten on (a sword, gun, etc.) by means of a belt.

to beat with or as if with a belt, strap, etc.

Slang. to hit very hard, far, etc.: You were lucky he didn't belt you in the mouth when you said that. He belted a triple to right field.

Informal. to sing (a song) loudly and energetically (sometimes followed by out): She can belt out a number with the best of them.

Slang. to drink (a shot of liquor) quickly, especially in one gulp (sometimes followed by down): He belted a few and went back out into the cold.

OTHER WORDS FOR belt

12 girdle, encircle.

14 gird (on).

15 flog, lash.

See synonyms for belt on Thesaurus.com

QUIZ

CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?

There are grammar debates that never die; and the ones highlighted in the questions in this quiz are sure to rile everyone up once again. Do you know how to answer the questions that cause some of the greatest grammar debates?

Question 1 of 7

Which sentence is correct?

His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Idioms about belt

below the belt, not in accord with the principles of fairness, decency, or good sportsmanship: criticism that hit below the belt.

tighten one's belt,

to undergo hardship patiently.
to curtail one's expenditures; be more frugal: They were urged to tighten their belts for the war effort.

under one's belt, Informal.

in one's stomach, as food or drink: With a few Scotches under his belt, he's everyone's friend.
considered as a matter of successful past experience: I don't think our lawyer has enough similar cases under his belt.

Origin of belt

before 1000; Middle English; Old English; compare Old High German balz; both <Latin balteus;see balteus

synonym study for belt

3. Belt and zone agree in their original meaning of a girdle or band. Belt is more used in popular or journalistic writing: the corn or wheat belt. Zone tends to be used in technical language: the Torrid Zone; a parcel-post zone.

OTHER WORDS FROM belt

beltless, adjective

Words nearby belt

below the belt, hit, below the line, Bel Paese, Belsen, Belshazzar, belt, belt-and-braces, Beltane, belt bag, beltcourse, belt down

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

MORE ABOUT BELT

What is a basic definition of belt?

A belt is a band of fabric worn around the waist. It is also a long, thin region with distinctive properties, as in a belt of corn fields in a larger farming region. The word belt is also used informally as a verb to mean to sing loudly or to hit something very hard. Belt has several other senses as a noun and a verb.

The word belt most often refers to a band of flexible fabric, like leather, worn around the waist to keep your pants from falling down. Other types of bands worn around the waist include tool belts and championship belts.

Real-life examples: Most clothing stores sell leather belts. A seat belt is worn around the waist while riding in a vehicle to keep you in the seat in case of an emergency. Martial arts groups use colored belts to indicate a person’s mastery level.

Used in a sentence: Batman keeps all of his gadgets in his utility belt.

Similar to the band around your waist, a belt can be a long, thin area with something distinctive about it.

Real-life examples: In the United States, the Bible Belt is an area of the Midwest and South where strong Christian beliefs are very common. The U.S.’s Corn Belt is an area of the Midwest that grows a lot of corn.

Used in a sentence: In history class, we studied the old industries of the Rust Belt in the northeastern U.S.

Belt is also used informally to mean to sing loudly. When used in this sense, belt is often followed with the word out.

Used in a sentence: The rock star belted out all of her greatest hits at the concert.

A slang use of belt means to hit or strike something really hard.

Used in a sentence: The boxer belted his opponent in the face, knocking him unconscious.

Where does belt come from?

The first records of belt come from before the year 1000. It ultimately comes from the Latin balteus, meaning “a belt” or “a girdle.”

Did you know ... ?

What are some other forms related to belt?

beltless (adjective)
belted (adjective)

What are some synonyms for belt?

What are some words that share a root or word element with belt?

What are some words that often get used in discussing belt?

How is belt used in real life?

Belt is a common word that is often used to refer to a band worn around the waist.

I’m at the stage of moving where I don’t want to own anything anymore. I will keep a spork in a little pouch on my belt and that’s all I need. Although, I can’t actually find my belt. I think it’s in a box somewhere.

— Allie Larkin (@AllieLarkin) December 27, 2020

Adele songs were made just to be belted out in the car

— Chloé (@ChloeLukasiak) January 19, 2018

Just opened the fridge. Pack of coleslaw dived out and belted me in the face. Coleslaw attacks. Very rare.

— Donna F Dauterive (@DonnaFT118) February 7, 2017

Try using belt?

A belt is a band of fabric that is worn around the ____.

A. head
B. waist
C. arm
D. leg

How to use belt in a sentence

He followed through, seizing the belt and casting Woodley into his current descent.
As Kamaru Usman edges toward UFC greatness, his former teammate wants to stop him|Glynn A. Hill|February 12, 2021|Washington Post
At the Street Church program, he would quietly give out sandwiches and once noticed a man who would “wear out his belts and shoes a lot,” Mooneyham said.
Frank Anderson, 87, cared passionately about feeding the homeless in D.C.|Dana Hedgpeth|February 5, 2021|Washington Post
Avdija, who missed more time than Hachimura and has just three games under his belt after getting out of the league protocols, scored 13 points and shot well in each of his past two games, pulling in seven rebounds Tuesday and four Wednesday.
Rui Hachimura and Deni Avdija are regaining their footing after missing so much time|Ava Wallace|February 4, 2021|Washington Post
Jim is one of the best pilots I know—calm and extremely skilled, with thousands of hours of mountain flying under his belt.
After the Crash, They Said I Was Fine. I Wasn't.|Erin Tierney|February 4, 2021|Outside Online

Retention is going to be a big focus of ours this year now that we have a solid business under our belts.
Media Briefing: Media companies’ DE&I follow-throughs fall short|Tim Peterson|February 4, 2021|Digiday
They want to change bad behaviors—tobacco, alcohol, using a seat belt, anything.
Can the U.S. Government Go Moneyball?|Peter Orszag, Jim Nussle|December 23, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Now they are a notch on a belt, and the savior can feel good about themselves.
To Catch a Sex Worker: A&E’s Awful, Exploitative Ambush Show|Samantha Allen|December 19, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Det. 2: No, not your belt . . . . Remember being out in the sunroom, the room that sits out to the back of the house?
How the U.S. Justice System Screws Prisoners with Disabilities|Elizabeth Picciuto|December 16, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Not long after, a 10-year-old girl wearing a suicide belt was arrested.
The New Face of Boko Haram’s Terror: Teen Girls|Nina Strochlic|December 13, 2014|DAILY BEAST
He would laboriously make his way from desk to loo, belt down a few, then return.
Alfred Hitchcock’s Fade to Black: The Great Director’s Final Days|David Freeman|December 13, 2014|DAILY BEAST
His boyish suspenders had been put away in favor of a belt, which was tight-drawn about his slim waist.
The Bondboy|George W. (George Washington) Ogden
He reached down inside my shirt, with a none too gentle hand, and relieved me of the belt that held the money.
Raw Gold|Bertrand W. Sinclair
Just smiled, a sardonic sort of grimace, and unbuckled his belt and handed it over without a word.
Raw Gold|Bertrand W. Sinclair
He put his hand to his belt, screwed up his mug, and said he felt plumb et up inside.
Alec Lloyd, Cowpuncher|Eleanor Gates
A millionaire might offer more for a life belt as a souvenir than a drowning man could pay for it to save his life.
The Unsolved Riddle of Social Justice|Stephen Leacock

British Dictionary definitions for belt

belt

/ (bɛlt) /

noun

a band of cloth, leather, etc, worn, usually around the waist, to support clothing, carry tools, weapons, or ammunition, or as decoration

a narrow band, circle, or stripe, as of colour

an area, esp an elongated one, where a specific thing or specific conditions are found; zonethe town belt; a belt of high pressure

a belt worn as a symbol of rank (as by a knight or an earl), or awarded as a prize (as in boxing or wrestling), or to mark particular expertise (as in judo or karate)

See seat belt

a band of flexible material between rotating shafts or pulleys to transfer motion or transmit goodsa fan belt; a conveyer belt

a beltcourseSee cordon (def. 4)

informal a sharp blow, as with a bat or the fist

below the belt

boxing below the waist, esp in the groin
informal in an unscrupulous or cowardly way

tighten one's belt to take measures to reduce expenditure

under one's belt

(of food or drink) in one's stomach
in one's possession
as part of one's experiencehe had a linguistics degree under his belt

verb

(tr) to fasten or attach with or as if with a belt

(tr) to hit with a belt

(tr) slang to give a sharp blow; punch

(intr often foll by along) slang to move very fast, esp in a carbelting down the motorway

(tr) rare to mark with belts, as of colour

(tr) rare to encircle; surround

Derived forms of belt

belted, noun

Word Origin for belt

Old English, from Latin balteus

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

Scientific definitions for belt

belt

[ bĕlt ]

A geographic region that is distinctive in a specific respect.

Other Idioms and Phrases with belt

belt

In addition to the idioms beginning with belt

belt down
belt out

also see:

below the belt
bible belt
sun belt
tighten one's belt
under one's belt

belt

OTHER WORDS FOR belt

Idioms about belt

Origin of belt

synonym study for belt

OTHER WORDS FROM belt

Words nearby belt

MORE ABOUT BELT

What is a basic definition of belt?

Where does belt come from?

Did you know ... ?

How is belt used in real life?

Try using belt?

Words related to belt

How to use belt in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for belt

Derived forms of belt

Word Origin for belt

Scientific definitions for belt

Other Idioms and Phrases with belt