belly flop

¹

noun

, Northern and North Midland U.S.

1. an awkward, usually unintentional dive in which the front of the body strikes the water horizontally, the abdomen or chest bearing the brunt of the impact.
2. a maneuver with a sled in which the sledder runs with the sled to gain momentum and jumps forward to land on top of the sled as it moves through the snow.
3. a failure; flop.

belly-flop

²

[ bel-ee-flop ]

verb (used without object)

, Northern and North Midland U.S.

, bel·ly-flopped, bel·ly-flop·ping.

1. to do a belly flop, as in diving or sledding.
2. to land or throw oneself heavily down on one's belly:

   so tired he just belly-flopped on the bed.

belly flop

noun

1. a dive into water in which the body lands horizontally
2. another name for belly landing

verb

1. intr to perform a belly flop

Word History and Origins

Origin of belly flop¹

First recorded in 1890–95

Origin of belly flop²

First recorded in 1930–35

Example Sentences

There, the vehicle will use a similar belly flop to arrest itself as it falls through Mars’s thin atmosphere.

From Popular-Science