fan belt

American

noun

(in automotive vehicles) a belt, driven by the crankshaft of an engine, that turns a fan for drawing cooling air through the radiator.

fan belt British

noun

any belt that drives a fan, esp the belt that drives a cooling fan together with a dynamo or alternator in a car engine

"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 fan belt

First recorded in 1920–25

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.

Inside, investigators discovered a fan belt hanging from the ceiling.

From Los Angeles Times

But he regretted his decision as soon as they got back to their motor home with its dead battery, broken fan belt — and no heater or running water — parked on 60th Place at Western Avenue.

From Los Angeles Times

“I stopped, looked under the hood and found that the generator pulley had disintegrated, taking the fan belt with it,” Stan said.

From Washington Post

At some point, the pump’s fan belt snapped and sent fragments flying through the air, including the bolt that struck the boy in the head.

From Fox News

But when Anne finally peels off her pantyhose, it isn’t to indulge in a roadside quickie; it’s to repair the Peugeot’s broken fan belt.

From New York Times

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023