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tighten one's belt

 - 6 dictionary results

belt

  [belt]
Use tighten one's belt in a Sentence
–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.
a. a cloth strip with loops or a series of metal links with grips, for holding cartridges fed into an automatic gun.
b. 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, esp. 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)
12. to gird or furnish with a belt.
13. to surround or mark as if with a belt or band: Garbage cans were belted with orange paint.
14. to fasten on (a sword, gun, etc.) by means of a belt.
15. to beat with or as if with a belt, strap, etc.
16. 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.
17. Informal. to sing (a song) loudly and energetically (sometimes fol. by out): She can belt out a number with the best of them.
18. Slang. to drink (a shot of liquor) quickly, esp. in one gulp (sometimes fol. by down): He belted a few and went back out into the cold.
—Idioms
19. below the belt, not in accord with the principles of fairness, decency, or good sportsmanship: criticism that hit below the belt.
20. tighten one's belt,
a. to undergo hardship patiently.
b. to curtail one's expenditures; be more frugal: They were urged to tighten their belts for the war effort.
21. under one's belt, Informal.
a. in one's stomach, as food or drink: With a few Scotches under his belt, he's everyone's friend.
b. considered as a matter of successful past experience: I don't think our lawyer has enough similar cases under his belt.
Origin:
bef. 1000; ME; OE; cf. OHG balz; both < L balteus; see balteus

Related forms:
beltless, adjective

Synonyms:
3. 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. 12. girdle, encircle. 14. gird (on). 15. flog, lash.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To tighten one's belt
Slang Dictionary
belt

  1. n.
    a blow with the fist or hand. : Quiet or I'll give you a belt in the chops.
  2. tv.
    to strike someone. : Quiet or I'll belt you one!
  3. n.
    a kick or a thrill. : We all got quite a belt from your jokes.
  4. n.
    the rushor joltfrom an injection of a drug. (Drugs.) : This stuff has one hell of a belt.
  5. n.
    an injection of a drug. (Drugs.) : I could use a belt of smack to hold off the pain.
  6. n.
    a swallow of liquor. : Three more quick belts and he was ready to sit down and talk.
  7. tv.
    to drink (something). (See also belt the grape.) : He belted his drink and asked for another.
Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions by Richard A. Spears.Fourth Edition.
Copyright 2007. Published by McGraw Hill.
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tighten (one's) belt

  1. tv.
    to prepare for economies. (As if one would not be able to afford enough food to make one's stomach press against one's belt. See also take (one's) belt in (a notch).) : The entire country will have to tighten its belt.
Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions by Richard A. Spears.Fourth Edition.
Copyright 2007. Published by McGraw Hill.
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Word Origin & History

belt 
O.E. belt, from P.Gmc. *baltjaz (cf. O.H.G. balz, O.N. balti, Swed. bälte), an early borrowing from L. balteus "girdle, sword belt," said by Varro to be an Etruscan word. As a mark of rank or distinction, c.1340; references to boxing championship belts date from 1812. Transferred sense of "broad stripe encircling something" is from 1664; verb meaning "to thrash as with a belt" is from 1649; general sense of "to hit, thrash" is attested from 1838. Below the belt "unfair" (1889) is from pugilism. To get something under (one's) belt is to get it into one's stomach.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Science Dictionary
belt   (bělt)  Pronunciation Key 
A geographic region that is distinctive in a specific respect.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.
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Idioms & Phrases

tighten one's belt

Spend less, be more frugal, as in Business has been bad, so we'll have to tighten our belts. This metaphoric term alludes to pulling in one's belt after losing weight from not having enough to eat. [First half of 1900s]

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