belt

belt1 [ belt ] noun count **

1. ) a narrow piece of leather, cloth, etc. that you wear around your waist, for example to keep your clothes in place or for decoration:

a leather/plastic belt

put on/fasten a belt

a ) in some types of MARTIAL ART such as JUDO and KARATE, a narrow piece of a material worn around the waist to show that you have achieved a particular standard:

He has a brown belt in karate.

=> BLACK BELT

2. ) an area of land where there is a particular industry, activity, etc.:

the corn belt

a ) an area where a particular type of person lives:

the city's commuter belt

b ) a long thin area that contains a lot of a particular thing:

a belt of trees

c ) an area containing a lot of a particular thing that surrounds something else:

an asteroid belt

3. ) a circular band that helps to turn or move something in a machine

4. ) AMERICAN INFORMAL a drink of strong alcohol

below the belt

a comment that is below the belt is cruel and unfair

get/have something under your belt INFORMAL

to achieve something that is important and useful:

You need to get a few more qualifications under your belt.

give someone/something a belt VERY INFORMAL

to hit someone or something hard

take a belt to someone INFORMAL

to hit someone with a belt as a punishment, usually on their back or bottom

=> TIGHTEN

belt

belt 2 [ belt ] verb

1. ) transitive INFORMAL to hit someone or something very hard:

Jeter belted a home run.

2. ) transitive to fasten a piece of clothing with a belt

3. ) intransitive belt along/down etc. BRITISH INFORMAL to move somewhere very quickly:

They went belting along the road.

,belt `down phrasal verb transitive AMERICAN INFORMAL

to drink alcoholic drinks quickly, one after another:

belting down shots of whiskey

,belt `out phrasal verb transitive INFORMAL

to shout or sing something loudly or play something loudly on a musical instrument:

Mahalia Jackson belting out a gospel tune