belt

The word “belt” means a strip of leather or fabric worn around the waist to hold up clothing or carry items. In plain terms, a strap worn around the waist, or by extension anything band-shaped that holds, restrains, or drives something — also used informally for hitting or singing powerfully.

“Belt” is pronounced BEHLT (/ˈbɛlt/ in IPA).

Here is “belt” used in a sentence: “He tightened his belt after losing weight.”

Words with a similar meaning to “belt” include restraint, safety belt and seat belt.

Depending on how it is used, “belt” can be a noun and a verb.

The word “belt” comes from Latin. From Old English belt, borrowed long ago from Latin balteus, "sword-belt.".

“Belt” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the A2 level.

“Belt” has 5 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a strip of leather or fabric worn around the waist to hold up clothing or carry items.

In clothing, belts range from formal leather dress belts to casual braided or fabric ones, varying by width, buckle, and material. The word also names many non-clothing items: seat belts, conveyor belts, fan belts, martial-arts rank belts, and geographic 'belts' such as the Rust Belt or a belt of forest.

A belt is usually a fairly narrow strip of leather or fabric with a buckle, worn to hold up clothing or carry tools. A sash is a wider band of cloth, generally tied rather than buckled, and is more often decorative or ceremonial, like a beauty-pageant or military dress sash.

Beyond the waist accessory, 'belt' has many uses. Mechanically, it's a loop that transfers motion, like a conveyor or fan belt. Geographically, it's a broad zone sharing a feature, such as the Bible Belt. In martial arts, a coloured belt marks rank, and as a verb, to 'belt' can mean to hit hard or sing loudly.