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Showing results for bellybutton. Search instead for billy buttons.

bellybutton

American  
[bel-ee-buht-n] / ˈbɛl iˌbʌt n /
Or belly button

noun

  1. the navel.


bellybutton British  
/ ˈbɛlɪˌbʌtən /

noun

  1. 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

Etymology

Origin of bellybutton

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

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

His very first action, removing a piece of fluff from his bellybutton, sets the tone for this playful and irreverent romp.

From New York Times May 2, 2024

Like bellybutton piercings of the streets, the gleam of these cast-iron discs are little glimpses of jewellery not usually seen.

From BBC May 14, 2021

The pain is typically in the middle of the abdomen around the bellybutton and can last from two hours to three days.

From Washington Post Aug. 14, 2020

As a result, while discussing the remarkable diversity of creatures dwelling on and in our bodies, he can tell you that his own bellybutton harbors a bacterium, Marimonas, also found in the Mariana Trench.

From Scientific American May 16, 2020

I know Chucha made Mami save all our bellybutton cords from when we were newborns to bury in the backyard.

From "Before We Were Free" by Julia Alvarez

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