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.
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