belt
13 ENTRIES FOUND:
plural
belts
plural
belts
Britannica Dictionary definition of BELT
[count]
1
:
a band of material (such as leather) that is worn around a person's waist
—
see color picture on this page;
see also black belt, garter belt, safety belt, seat belt
-
I fastened/unfastened the buckle on my belt. = I buckled/unbuckled my belt.
-
I tied the belt of my robe.
2
:
a band that runs around wheels or other parts in a machine and that is used for moving or carrying something
—
see also fan belt
3
:
a region that has a lot of a particular thing
—
see also bible belt, sunbelt
-
a belt of hilly land [=an area with many hills]
-
a storm belt
-
the farm/farming belt
-
the corn/cotton belt [=a region with many farms growing corn/cotton]
-
an asteroid belt
-
(chiefly US) cities in the Rust Belt [=an area formerly known for industry and manufacturing]
below the belt
informal
:
too harsh and unfair
-
That remark was below the belt. = That remark really hit (him) below the belt.
◊ The phrase below the belt comes from the sport of boxing, where it is against the rules to hit your opponent anywhere below the belt.
tighten your belt
:
to begin to spend less money
:
to make changes in order to save money
—
see also belt-tightening
-
Many companies are tightening their belts during the recession.
under your belt
:
as an achievement or as part of your experience
-
She has a best-selling book under her belt. [=she has written a best-selling book]
-
an actor who has several films under his belt [=who has appeared in several films]
-
He finally has a full year of experience under his belt.
—
compare 3belt
-
a belted coat/jacket/robe
2
belt
/ˈbɛlt/
verb
belts;
belted;
belting
2
belt
/ˈbɛlt/
verb
belts;
belted;
belting
Britannica Dictionary definition of BELT
1
[+ object]
:
to fasten (something) with a belt
-
His bathrobe was loosely belted.
2
[+ object]
informal
:
to hit (someone or something) hard
-
He belted the ball down the fairway.
-
belt a home run
-
Some drunk got mad and threatened to belt me.
3
[+ object]
informal
:
to sing (a song) in a loud and forceful way
— usually + out
-
a singer belting out tunes at the top of her lungs
4
always followed by an adverb,
[+ object]
US, informal
:
to drink (something) quickly
-
He belted down a shot of whiskey.
-
belting back a drink
5
always followed by an adverb or preposition,
[no object]
chiefly British, informal
:
to move or go at a high speed
-
The car was belting down/along the highway.
belt up
[phrasal verb] British
1
:
to fasten a seat belt in a car or other vehicle
-
When you're riding in a car, you should always belt up [=(US) buckle up] for safety.
2
informal
:
to stop talking
-
Will you just belt up [=shut up] for once?
3
belt
/ˈbɛlt/
noun
plural
belts
3
belt
/ˈbɛlt/
noun
plural
belts
Britannica Dictionary definition of BELT
[count]
informal
1
:
a hard hit
-
Some drunk got mad and threatened to give me a belt. [=punch]
2
US, informal
:
a drink of alcohol
-
He had a few belts (of whiskey) before dinner.
—
compare 1belt
