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belly

 - 9 dictionary results

bel⋅ly

  [bel-ee] noun, plural -lies, verb, -lied, -ly⋅ing.
Use belly in a Sentence
–noun
1. the front or under part of a vertebrate body from the breastbone to the pelvis, containing the abdominal viscera; the abdomen.
2. the stomach with its adjuncts.
3. appetite or capacity for food; gluttony.
4. the womb.
5. the inside or interior of anything: the belly of a ship.
6. a protuberant or bulging surface of anything: the belly of a flask.
7. Anatomy. the fleshy part of a muscle.
8. the front, inner, or under surface or part, as distinguished from the back.
9. the front surface of a violin or similar instrument.
10. a bulge on a vertical surface of fresh concrete.
11. the underpart of the fuselage of an airplane.
–verb (used with object)
12. to fill out; swell: Wind bellied the sails.
–verb (used without object)
13. to swell out: Sails bellying in the wind.
14. to crawl on one's belly: soldiers bellying through a rice paddy.
—Verb phrase
15. belly up, Informal.
a. to approach closely, esp. until one is in physical contact: to belly up to a bar.
b. to curry favor from: Would you have gotten the promotion if you hadn't bellied up to the boss?
—Idiom
16. go or turn belly up, Informal. to come to an end; die; fail: After years of barely surviving on donations, the neighborhood social club finally went belly up.
Origin:
bef. 950; ME bely, OE belig, belg bag, skin; c. G Balg, Goth balgs, ON belgr sack; akin to Welsh bol(a), boly, Ir bolg sack, belly, bellows, Serbo-Croatian blàzina, Latvian pabàlsts, Avestan barəziš-, Pers bālish cushion

Related forms:
bel⋅ly⋅like, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To belly
ab·do·men   (āb'də-mən, āb-dō'mən)   
n.  

  1. The part of the body that lies between the thorax and the pelvis and encloses the stomach, intestines, liver, spleen, and pancreas. Also called belly.

  2. The corresponding region in vertebrates other than mammals.

  3. The posterior segment of the body in arthropods.


[Latin abdōmen, belly; see dhē- in Indo-European roots.]
bel·ly   (běl'ē)   
n.   pl. bel·lies

  1. See abdomen.

  2. The underside of the body of certain vertebrates, such as snakes and fish.

  3. Informal

    1. The stomach.

    2. An appetite for food.

    3. A part that bulges or protrudes: the belly of a sail.

    4. Anatomy The bulging, central part of a muscle.

  4. The womb; the uterus.

    1. A part that bulges or protrudes: the belly of a sail.

    2. Anatomy The bulging, central part of a muscle.

  6. A deep, hollow interior: the belly of a ship.

intr. & tr.v.   bel·lied, bel·ly·ing, bel·lies
To bulge or cause to bulge. See Synonyms at bulge.
Phrasal Verb(s):
belly upTo approach closely: belly up to the bar.

[Middle English beli, from Old English belg, bag; see bhelgh- in Indo-European roots.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Word Origin & History

belly 
O.E. belg, bylg (W.Saxon), bælg (Anglian) "leather bag, purse, bellows," from P.Gmc. *balgiz "bag" (cf. O.N. belgr "bag, bellows," bylgja "billow," Goth. balgs "wineskin"), from PIE *bhelgh- "to swell," extension of root *bhel- "to inflate, swell" (see bole). Meaning shifted to "body" (c.1275), then to "abdomen" (1340). Meaning "bulging part or concave surface of anything" is 1591; the verb "to swell out" is from 1624. The W.Gmc. root had an extended sense of "anger, arrogance" (cf. O.E. bolgenmod "enraged;" belgan (v.) "to become angry"). Belly-button for "navel" is from 1877. Bellyache (v.) in the slang sense of "complain" is first recorded 1888. Belly-dance (1899) translates Fr. danse du ventre.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Medical Dictionary

Main Entry: bel·ly
Pronunciation: 'bel-E
Function: noun
Inflected Form: plural bellies
1 a : ABDOMEN 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
Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, © 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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Medical Dictionary

belly bel·ly (běl'ē)
n.

  1. See abdomen.

  2. The stomach.

  3. The womb; the uterus.

  4. The bulging, central part of a muscle. Also called venter.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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Bible Dictionary

Belly

the seat of the carnal affections (Titus 1:12; Phil. 3:19; Rom. 16:18). The word is used symbolically for the heart (Prov. 18:8; 20:27; 22:18, marg.). The "belly of hell" signifies the grave or underworld (Jonah 2:2).

Easton's 1897 Bible Dictionary
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Idioms & Phrases

belly

see go belly up.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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Encyclopedia

belly

a thin plate of wood or a stretched membrane lying directly under the strings of a stringed musical instrument. It vibrates in response to the vibrations of the strings (transmitted to it by the bridge, an elastic piece of wood held under pressure or tension between the strings and soundboard), amplifying the faint sound produced by the string alone.

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Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008. Encyclopedia Britannica Online.
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