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
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 situationTony SchermanMeanwhile, the very best bodies of America are in prison, pumping iron in the belly of the beast.—Robert Lipsyte
Robert Lipsyte3
: 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
bellied; bellying
: to cause to swell or fill out
wind bellying the sails
Synonyms
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
Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 7 Nov. 2024
In the post, Matlin's older daughter walked past her, and then the actress took her daughter’s wrist and pulled her closer, rubbing her growing belly.
—Hannah Sacks, People.com, 4 Nov. 2024
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
See all Example Sentences for belly 
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Noun
BBLs involve taking fat from some sections of the body—usually around the belly—and redistributing it to the bottom, hips and thighs to create an hourglass figure and large buttocks.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 7 Nov. 2024
In the post, Matlin's older daughter walked past her, and then the actress took her daughter’s wrist and pulled her closer, rubbing her growing belly.
—Hannah Sacks, People.com, 4 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
See all Example Sentences for belly
Dictionary Entries Near belly
Cite this Entry
“Belly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/belly. Accessed 30 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
Medical Definition
belly
noun
bel·ly
ˈbel-ē 
plural bellies
1
a
b
: the undersurface of an animal's body
d
: the stomach and its adjuncts
2
: the enlarged fleshy body of a muscle
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