seat belt
Americannoun
noun
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Also called: safety belt. a belt or strap worn in a vehicle to restrain forward motion in the event of a collision
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a similar belt or strap worn in an aircraft at takeoff and landing and in rough weather
Etymology
Origin of seat belt
First recorded in 1945–50
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.
Front seat passengers such as Jenna often have chest, rib and breastbone injuries if wearing a seat belt because of the massive pressure from the impact.
From BBC • Feb. 14, 2026
To remedy the issue, Rivian released an over-the-air software update that will automatically detect seat belt misuse.
From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 3, 2025
Rivian is recalling 34,824 vehicles for a damaged seat belt pretensioner cable, representing a significant portion of its total sales.
From Barron's • Dec. 3, 2025
You are in the passenger seat with no seat belt, and the dashboard lights are blinking like they’re trying to tell you something in Morse code, which you never learned.
From MarketWatch • Dec. 2, 2025
Chicken tried to fasten his seat belt, but his backpack was in the way.
From "Caterpillar Summer" by Gillian McDunn
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
