Basic+ Word of the Day: belly

belly (noun) LISTEN

A belly is a stomach or abdomen.

  • The pregnant woman's belly made it difficult for her pick up her child's toys.
  • Paul likes to rub his dog's belly.
  • When Susan went on a high protein diet, she lost some belly fat.

A belly can also be the interior of something.

  • There was too much cargo in the ship's belly.

Common uses

go belly up: to fail (informal). Example: “Fran’s cupcake bakery went belly up after a year of losses.”

belly flop: to dive into water, landing on your belly. Example: “You will probably belly flop a few times, when you first learn to dive.”

Related words

bellybutton: the hollow part of the abdomen, also called the navel. Example: “When Taylor wears that short top, you can see her bellybutton.”

In pop culture

Belly dancing is a Middle Eastern dance that involves gyrating the belly and hips. Watch Catherine Zeta Jones belly dance in the 1990 film, 1001 Arabian Nights.

There are other meanings of belly.

Word of the Day is released Monday through Friday.

Previous Post Next Post

You Might Also Like