belly

1 of 2

noun

bel·​ly ˈbe-lē 

plural bellies

1

a

: abdomen sense 1a

also : potbelly sense 1

b

: the stomach and its adjuncts

c

: the undersurface of an animal's body

also : hide from this part

d

: womb, uterus

2

a

: an internal cavity : interior

b

: a central place where something is most prevalent, concentrated, or deeply ingrained

… he became the hottest songwriter in Nashville, an antiauthoritarian smack-dab in the belly of the establishment.

—Tony Scherman

—often used in the phrase the belly of the beast to refer especially to a dangerous or hostile place or situation

Meanwhile, the very best bodies of America are in prison, pumping iron in the belly of the beast.

—Robert Lipsyte

3

: appetite for food

4

: a surface or object curved or rounded like a human belly

5

a

: the enlarged fleshy body of a muscle

b

: the part of a sail that swells out when filled with wind

6

: gut sense 4

belly

2 of 2

verb

bellied; bellying

transitive verb

: to cause to swell or fill out

wind bellying the sails

intransitive verb

1

: swell, fill

2

a

: to slide or crawl on one's belly

b

: belly-land

Synonyms

Noun

• appetite
• emptiness
• famishment
• hunger
• munchies
• stomach

Verb

• bag
• balloon
• beetle
• billow
• bulge
• bunch
• jut
• overhang
• poke
• pooch [chiefly dialect]
• pouch
• pout
• project
• protrude
• stand out
• start
• stick out
• swell

Examples of belly in a Sentence

Noun

He got down on his belly to crawl.

They slid down the snowy hill on their bellies.

a gray squirrel with a white belly

the belly of an airplane

the belly of a ship

Verb

the sails slowly bellied as the wind picked up

recruits were forced to belly over the obstacle course under simulated enemy fire

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

The trout filled their bellies and their mouths and still continued gorging. —David Quammen, Outside Online, 29 Nov. 2024

Stretch marks are a common part of pregnancy and though creams and oils may not fully prevent marks from your growing belly, adding a silky belly balm to your body routine is a great way to pamper yourself either way. —Annie Blay, Allure, 28 Nov. 2024

Verb

The see-ya-Miguel theory also ran into complications Tuesday: Arraez went on the concussion list for seven days after his foolish decision to belly slide into home plate on Monday. —Star Tribune, 4 May 2021

Earl, a beer-bellied alien with a quad-cannon and a trucker hat, drawls about the simple life with a southern accent. —Cecilia D'anastasio, Wired, 27 May 2020

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English bely bellows, belly, from Old English belg bag, skin; akin to Old High German balg bag, skin, Old English blāwan to blow — more at blow entry 1

Verb

verbal derivative of belly entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

1606, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Phrases Containing belly

• beer belly
• belly button
• belly dance
• belly flop
• belly-land
• belly laugh
• belly up
• belly up to
• Delhi belly
• go belly-up
• pork belly

Kids Definition

belly

1 of 2 noun

bel·​ly ˈbel-ē 

plural bellies

1

a

: abdomen sense 1

b

: the undersurface of an animal's body

also : hide from this part

c

: stomach entry 1 sense 1a

2

: an internal cavity : interior

3

: a curved or rounded surface or object

the belly of an airplane

belly

2 of 2 verb

bellied; bellying

: to swell or bulge out

Medical Definition

belly

noun

bel·​ly ˈbel-ē 

plural bellies

1

a

: abdomen sense 1a

b

: the undersurface of an animal's body

c

: womb, uterus

d

: the stomach and its adjuncts

2

: the enlarged fleshy body of a muscle