potbelly

[ pot-bel-ee ]

noun

, plural pot·bel·lies.

1. a distended or protuberant belly.
2. potbelly stove.
3. potbelly wood.

potbelly

/ ˈpɒtˌbɛlɪ /

noun

1. a protruding or distended belly
2. a person having such a belly
3. a small bulbous stove in which wood or coal is burned

Derived Forms

• ˈpotˌbellied, adjective

Other Words From

• potbellied adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of potbelly¹

First recorded in 1705–15; pot ¹ + belly

Example Sentences

Talia Greis, from Australia, won Macro, with an abstract portrait of a potbelly seahorse in the murky waters near Bare Island, Sydney.

From BBC

While the Kumasaka family was incarcerated in Minidoka, a fire caused by an overheated potbelly stove burned down the Green Lake Community Center and vandals extensively damaged the farm’s greenhouses.

From Seattle Times

The two people getting out of it didn’t resemble Bonnie and Clyde one bit: they were a middle-aged man with a potbelly and a young girl carrying a mangy cat.

From Literature

The loft, which rented for $40 a month, had no electricity — power was wired in from a light fixture in the hall — and was heated with a potbelly stove.

From New York Times

It's hard not to mistake Sanders for Father Christmas, especially with his white facial hair, potbelly and festive get-up.

From Salon