welt

American  

[welt] / wɛlt /

noun

1. a ridge or wale on the surface of the body, as from a blow of a stick or whip.

2. a blow producing such a ridge or wale.

3. Shoemaking.

   1. a strip, as of leather, set in between the outsole of a shoe and the edges of its insole and upper, through which these parts are joined by stitching or stapling.

   2. a strip, usually of leather, that ornaments a shoe.

4. a strengthening or ornamental finish along a seam, the edge of a garment, etc.

5. a seam in which one edge is cut close to the stitching line and covered by the other edge, which is stitched over it.

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verb (used with object)

1. to beat soundly, as with a stick or whip.

2. to furnish or supply (a shoe or garment) with a welt or welts; sew a welt on to.

verb (used without object)

1. to be marked with or develop welts.

welt British  

/ wɛlt /

noun

1. a raised or strengthened seam or edge, sewn in or on a knitted garment

2. another word for weal 1

3. (in shoemaking) a strip of leather, etc, put in between the outer sole and the inner sole and upper

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verb

1. to put a welt in (a garment, etc)

2. to beat or flog soundly

Other Word Forms

• unwelted
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of welt

1375–1425; late Middle English welte, walt shoemaker's welt, Old English wælt (thigh) sinew

Explanation

If someone hits you hard with a thin stick, your skin might rise up in a welt. Ouch. A welt is a swollen bruise. The extra bit of stitching around the pocket of your jeans can also be called a welt, as can the stitching that holds your shoe to its sole. In these cases, as well as in the case of the mark on the skin, a welt is a rising where things meet — either where a blow meets the body or where two types of fabric meet each other.

Example Sentences

Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul told Welt TV that a government-chartered flight will leave Oman on Wednesday, with Lufthansa confirmed it will fly.

From Barron's • Mar. 3, 2026

And as the Milan Cortina Games approached, the German newspaper Die Welt declared: “A German test will decide our gold medal hopes.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 17, 2026

Die Welt said the court's Second Civil Chamber decided to reject Liebich's application for a preliminary injunction, saying it was unfounded.

From BBC • Aug. 20, 2025

Musk's op-ed caused "intense discussion" in the editorial office, and "many colleagues argued against publication," according to Welt journalist Franziska Zimmerer.

From Salon • Jan. 3, 2025

He found a single disc, a Swedish starlet named Zarah Leander singing “Davon geht die Welt nicht unter.”

From "Salt to the Sea" by Ruta Sepetys

Related Words

• bruise
• contusion
• scar
• stripe