belt

[ belt ]

noun

1. a band of flexible material, as leather or cord, for encircling the waist.
2. any encircling or transverse band, strip, or stripe.
3. an elongated region having distinctive properties or characteristics:

   a belt of cotton plantations.

4. Machinery. an endless flexible band passing about two or more pulleys, used to transmit motion from one pulley to the other or others or to convey materials and objects.
5. Military.
   1. a cloth strip with loops or a series of metal links with grips, for holding cartridges fed into an automatic gun.
   2. a band of leather or webbing, worn around the waist and used as a support for weapons, ammunition, etc.
6. a series of armor plates forming part of the hull of a warship.
7. a broad, flexible strip of rubber, canvas, wood, etc., moved along the surface of a fresh concrete pavement to put a finish on it after it has been floated.
8. a road, railroad, or the like, encircling an urban center to handle peripheral traffic.
9. Slang. a hard blow or hit.
10. Slang. a shot of liquor, especially as swallowed in one gulp.
11. Automotive. a strip of material used in a type of motor-vehicle tire belted tire, where it is placed between the carcass and the tread for reinforcement.

verb (used with object)

1. to gird or furnish with a belt.

   Synonyms: encircle, girdle

2. to surround or mark as if with a belt or band:

   Garbage cans were belted with orange paint.

3. to fasten on (a sword, gun, etc.) by means of a belt.
4. to beat with or as if with a belt, strap, etc.

   Synonyms: lash, flog

5. Slang. to hit very hard, far, etc.:

   You were lucky he didn't belt you in the mouth when you said that. He belted a triple to right field.

6. Informal. to sing (a song) loudly and energetically (sometimes followed by out ):

   She can belt out a number with the best of them.

7. Slang. to drink (a shot of liquor) quickly, especially in one gulp (sometimes followed by down ):

   He belted a few and went back out into the cold.

belt

/ bɛlt /

noun

1. a band of cloth, leather, etc, worn, usually around the waist, to support clothing, carry tools, weapons, or ammunition, or as decoration
2. a narrow band, circle, or stripe, as of colour
3. an area, esp an elongated one, where a specific thing or specific conditions are found; zone

   a belt of high pressure

   the town belt

4. a belt worn as a symbol of rank (as by a knight or an earl), or awarded as a prize (as in boxing or wrestling), or to mark particular expertise (as in judo or karate)
5. See seat belt
   See seat belt
6. a band of flexible material between rotating shafts or pulleys to transfer motion or transmit goods

   a conveyer belt

   a fan belt

7. See cordon
   a beltcourse See cordon
8. informal.
   a sharp blow, as with a bat or the fist
9. below the belt
   below the belt
   1. boxing below the waist, esp in the groin
   2. in an unscrupulous or cowardly way
10. tighten one's belt
    tighten one's belt to take measures to reduce expenditure
11. under one's belt
    under one's belt
    1. (of food or drink) in one's stomach
    2. in one's possession
    3. as part of one's experience

       he had a linguistics degree under his belt

verb

1. tr to fasten or attach with or as if with a belt
2. tr to hit with a belt
3. slang.
   tr to give a sharp blow; punch
4. slang.
   introften foll byalong to move very fast, esp in a car

   belting down the motorway

5. rare.
   tr to mark with belts, as of colour
6. rare.
   tr to encircle; surround

belt

/ bĕlt /

1. A geographic region that is distinctive in a specific respect.

Derived Forms

• ˈbelted, noun

Other Words From

• beltless adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of belt¹

before 1000; Middle English; Old English; compare Old High German balz; both < Latin balteus; balteus

Word History and Origins

Origin of belt¹

Old English, from Latin balteus

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. below the belt, not in accord with the principles of fairness, decency, or good sportsmanship:

   criticism that hit below the belt.

2. tighten one's belt,
   1. to undergo hardship patiently.
   2. to curtail one's expenditures; be more frugal:

      They were urged to tighten their belts for the war effort.

3. under one's belt, Informal.
   1. in one's stomach, as food or drink:

      With a few Scotches under his belt, he's everyone's friend.

   2. considered as a matter of successful past experience:

      I don't think our lawyer has enough similar cases under his belt.

More idioms and phrases containing belt

• below the belt
• bible belt
• sun belt
• tighten one's belt
• under one's belt

Synonym Study

Belt and zone agree in their original meaning of a girdle or band. Belt is more used in popular or journalistic writing: the corn or wheat belt. Zone tends to be used in technical language: the Torrid Zone; a parcel-post zone.

Example Sentences

He followed through, seizing the belt and casting Woodley into his current descent.

From Washington Post

At the Street Church program, he would quietly give out sandwiches and once noticed a man who would “wear out his belts and shoes a lot,” Mooneyham said.

From Washington Post

Avdija, who missed more time than Hachimura and has just three games under his belt after getting out of the league protocols, scored 13 points and shot well in each of his past two games, pulling in seven rebounds Tuesday and four Wednesday.

From Washington Post

Jim is one of the best pilots I know—calm and extremely skilled, with thousands of hours of mountain flying under his belt.

From Outside Online

Retention is going to be a big focus of ours this year now that we have a solid business under our belts.

From Digiday

They want to change bad behaviors—tobacco, alcohol, using a seat belt, anything.

From The Daily Beast

Now they are a notch on a belt, and the savior can feel good about themselves.

From The Daily Beast

Det. 2: No, not your belt . . . . Remember being out in the sunroom, the room that sits out to the back of the house?

From The Daily Beast

Not long after, a 10-year-old girl wearing a suicide belt was arrested.

From The Daily Beast

He would laboriously make his way from desk to loo, belt down a few, then return.

From The Daily Beast

His boyish suspenders had been put away in favor of a belt, which was tight-drawn about his slim waist.

From Project Gutenberg

He reached down inside my shirt, with a none too gentle hand, and relieved me of the belt that held the money.

From Project Gutenberg

Just smiled, a sardonic sort of grimace, and unbuckled his belt and handed it over without a word.

From Project Gutenberg

He put his hand to his belt, screwed up his mug, and said he felt plumb et up inside.

From Project Gutenberg

A millionaire might offer more for a life belt as a souvenir than a drowning man could pay for it to save his life.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• bash
• bat
• clobber
• slam
• slug
• smack
• smash
• sock
• wallop
• whip

More About Belt

What is a basic definition of belt?

A belt is a band of fabric worn around the waist. It is also a long, thin region with distinctive properties, as in a belt of corn fields in a larger farming region. The word belt is also used informally as a verb to mean to sing loudly or to hit something very hard. Belt has several other senses as a noun and a verb.

The word belt most often refers to a band of flexible fabric, like leather, worn around the waist to keep your pants from falling down. Other types of bands worn around the waist include tool belts and championship belts.

Real-life examples: Most clothing stores sell leather belts. A seat belt is worn around the waist while riding in a vehicle to keep you in the seat in case of an emergency. Martial arts groups use colored belts to indicate a person’s mastery level.

Used in a sentence: Batman keeps all of his gadgets in his utility belt. 

Similar to the band around your waist, a belt can be a long, thin area with something distinctive about it.

Real-life examples: In the United States, the Bible Belt is an area of the Midwest and South where strong Christian beliefs are very common. The U.S.’s Corn Belt is an area of the Midwest that grows a lot of corn.

Used in a sentence: In history class, we studied the old industries of the Rust Belt in the northeastern U.S. 

Belt is also used informally to mean to sing loudly. When used in this sense, belt is often followed with the word out.

Used in a sentence: The rock star belted out all of her greatest hits at the concert.  

A slang use of belt means to hit or strike something really hard.

Used in a sentence: The boxer belted his opponent in the face, knocking him unconscious.

Where does belt come from?

The first records of belt come from before the year 1000. It ultimately comes from the Latin balteus, meaning “a belt” or “a girdle.”

Did you know ... ?

What are some other forms related to belt?

• beltless (adjective)
• belted (adjective)

What are some synonyms for belt?

• band
• ribbon
• strap
• region
• zone
• slug
• bash
• wallop

What are some words that share a root or word element with belt? 

• belter
• beltman
• belt out
• belt up
• hit below the belt
• Bible Belt

What are some words that often get used in discussing belt?

• waist
• leather
• pants
• buckle
• tighten
• loosen

How is belt used in real life?

Belt is a common word that is often used to refer to a band worn around the waist.

I’m at the stage of moving where I don’t want to own anything anymore. I will keep a spork in a little pouch on my belt and that’s all I need. Although, I can’t actually find my belt. I think it’s in a box somewhere.

— Allie Larkin (@AllieLarkin) December 27, 2020

Adele songs were made just to be belted out in the car

— Chloé (@ChloeLukasiak) January 19, 2018

Just opened the fridge. Pack of coleslaw dived out and belted me in the face. Coleslaw attacks. Very rare.

— Donna F Dauterive (@DonnaFT118) February 7, 2017

 

 

Try using belt?

A belt is a band of fabric that is worn around the ____.

A. head
B. waist
C. arm
D. leg