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Added 7 October 2026

belt

/ˈbɛlt/ noun

In Latin: balteus, cinctūra, zōna Wiktionary

noun Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about belt at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

Endless loop of flexible material between two rotating shafts or pulleys.
A band to tie or buckle around the body (usually at the waist).
An elongated region where a specific condition or characteristic is found.
a belt of high pressure

verb

Sing loudly and forcefully.
Deliver a blow to.
He belted his opponent
Fasten with a belt.
belt your trousers

Origin

From Middle English belt, from Old English belt (“belt, girdle”), from Proto-West Germanic *baltī̆, from Proto-Germanic *baltijaz (“girdle, belt”), from Latin balteus (“belt, sword-belt”), of Etruscan origin. Cognate with Scots belt (“belt”), Dutch belt, German Balz (“belt”), Danish bælte (“belt”), Norwegian Bokmål and Norwegian Nynorsk belte (“belt”), Swedish bälte (“belt, cincture, girdle, zone”), Faroese and Icelandic belti (“belt”).

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

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