seat belt

American  

Or seatbelt

noun

seat belts plural

1. a belt or strap in an automobile, airplane, etc., fastened around or sometimes diagonally across the midsection to keep the person safely secured, as during a sudden stop.

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seat belt British  

noun

1. Also called: safety belt.  a belt or strap worn in a vehicle to restrain forward motion in the event of a collision

2. a similar belt or strap worn in an aircraft at takeoff and landing and in rough weather

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• seat belts
  plural

Etymology

Origin of seat belt

First recorded in 1945–50

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

seat belt

"The masks dropped and there was a strong smell. The head and shoulders of one passenger were outside the window. Fortunately, he hadn't taken off his seat belt."

From Barron's ● Jul. 10, 2026

The chairs are often dozens of feet off the ground, so the experience of riding without the bar down can feel like flying through the air on a park bench — with no seat belt.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 11, 2026

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

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

I pull open the back seat door, hurl in the car seat, pluck Hector into it, and thread the seat belt through it as quick as I can.

From "The Benefits of Being an Octopus" by Ann Braden

Related Words

• safety belt