belt
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.
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.
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
1synonym study For belt
Other words for belt
12 | girdle, encircle |
14 | gird (on) |
15 | flog, lash |
Other words from belt
- beltless, adjective
Words Nearby belt
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
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 PostAt 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 PostAvdija, 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 PostJim is one of the best pilots I know—calm and extremely skilled, with thousands of hours of mountain flying under his belt.
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 | THE DAILY BEASTNow 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 | THE DAILY BEASTDet. 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 | THE DAILY BEASTNot 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 | THE DAILY BEASTHe 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 | THE DAILY BEASTHis 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) OgdenHe 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. SinclairJust smiled, a sardonic sort of grimace, and unbuckled his belt and handed it over without a word.
Raw Gold | Bertrand W. SinclairHe put his hand to his belt, screwed up his mug, and said he felt plumb et up inside.
Alec Lloyd, Cowpuncher | Eleanor GatesA 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
/ (bɛlt) /
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; zone: the 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 goods: a fan belt; a conveyer belt
a beltcourse: See 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 experience: he had a linguistics degree under his belt
(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 car: belting down the motorway
(tr) rare to mark with belts, as of colour
(tr) rare to encircle; surround
Origin of belt
1Derived forms of belt
- belted, noun
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
[ bĕlt ]
A geographic region that is distinctive in a specific respect.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Other Idioms and Phrases with 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
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
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