BELLY

belly

(noun) the underpart of the body of certain vertebrates such as snakes or fish

belly, paunch

(noun) a protruding abdomen

abdomen, venter, stomach, belly

(noun) the region of the body of a vertebrate between the thorax and the pelvis

belly

(noun) the hollow inside of something; “in the belly of the ship”

belly

(noun) a part that bulges deeply; “the belly of a sail”

belly, belly out

(verb) swell out or bulge out

Source: WordNet® 3.1


Etymology

Noun

belly (plural bellies)

The abdomen, especially a fat one.

The stomach.

The womb.

The lower fuselage of an airplane.

The part of anything which resembles the human belly in protuberance or in cavity; the innermost part.

(architecture) The hollow part of a curved or bent timber, the convex part of which is the back.

Usage notes

• Formerly, all the splanchnic or visceral cavities were called bellies: the lower belly being the abdomen; the middle belly, the thorax; and the upper belly, the head.

• Applied to the human body, the word is nowadays considered by some to be impolite or even coarse.

Verb

belly (third-person singular simple present bellies, present participle bellying, simple past and past participle bellied)

To position one’s belly; to move on one’s belly.

(intransitive) To swell and become protuberant; to bulge or billow.

(transitive) To cause to swell out; to fill.

Source: Wiktionary


Bel"ly, n.; pl. Bellies. Etym: [OE. bali, bely, AS. belg, bælg, bælig, bag, bellows, belly; akin to Icel. belgr bag, bellows, Sw. bälg, Dan. bælg, D. & G. balg, cf. W. bol the paunch or belly, dim. boly, Ir. bolg. Cf. Bellows, Follicle, Fool, Bilge.]

1. That part of the human body which extends downward from the breast to the thighs, and contains the bowels, or intestines; the abdomen.

Note: Formerly all the splanchnic or visceral cavities were called bellies; -- the lower belly being the abdomen; the middle belly, the thorax; and the upper belly, the head. Dunglison.

2. The under part of the body of animals, corresponding to the human belly. Underneath the belly of their steeds. Shak.

3. The womb. [Obs.] Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee. Jer. i. 5.

4. The part of anything which resembles the human belly in protuberance or in cavity; the innermost part; as, the belly of a flask, muscle, sail, ship. Out of the belly of hell cried I. Jonah ii. 2.

5. (Arch.)

Definition: The hollow part of a curved or bent timber, the convex part of which is the back. Belly doublet, a doublet of the 16th century, hanging down so as to cover the belly. Shak.

– Belly fretting, the chafing of a horse's belly with a girth. Johnson.

– Belly timber, food. [Ludicrous] Prior.

– Belly worm, a worm that breeds or lives in the belly (stomach or intestines). Johnson.

Bel"ly, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Bellied; p. pr. & vb. n. Bellying.]

Definition: To cause to swell out; to fill. [R.] Your breath of full consent bellied his sails. Shak.

Bel"ly, v. i.

Definition: To swell and become protuberant, like the belly; to bulge. The bellying canvas strutted with the gale. Dryden.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition



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Word of the Day

23 November 2024

THEORETICAL

(adjective) concerned primarily with theories or hypotheses rather than practical considerations; “theoretical science”


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