plural bellies
1
a
: abdomen sense 1a
also
: potbelly sense 1
b
: the stomach and its adjuncts
c
: the undersurface of an animal's body
also
: hide from this part
2
a
: an internal cavity : interior
b
: a central place where something is most prevalent, concentrated, or deeply ingrained
… he became the hottest songwriter in Nashville, an antiauthoritarian smack-dab in the belly of the establishment.—
Tony Scherman
—often used in the phrase the belly of the beast to refer especially to a dangerous or hostile place or situationTony SchermanMeanwhile, the very best bodies of America are in prison, pumping iron in the belly of the beast.—Robert Lipsyte
Robert Lipsyte3
: appetite for food
4
: a surface or object curved or rounded like a human belly
5
a
: the enlarged fleshy body of a muscle
b
: the part of a sail that swells out when filled with wind
6
bellied; bellying
: to cause to swell or fill out
wind bellying the sails
Synonyms
Examples of belly in a Sentence
Noun
He got down on his belly to crawl.
They slid down the snowy hill on their bellies.
a gray squirrel with a white belly
the belly of an airplane
the belly of a ship
Verb
the sails slowly bellied as the wind picked up
recruits were forced to belly over the obstacle course under simulated enemy fire
Recent Examples on the Web
Ethan Varian, The Mercury News, 6 Feb. 2025
These fish also love weedy areas, which can be a challenge to fish with a plug that has two or three treble hooks hanging off the belly.
—Joe Cermele, Outdoor Life, 5 Feb. 2025
People with this body type have a naturally slow metabolism and a shorter and wider bone structure with a larger abdomen (belly) and hips.1
Endomorphs tend to have shorter arms and legs.
—Laura Schober, Health, 4 Feb. 2025
Yet, even with Philadelphia squaring off against Kansas City in Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans, the patrons of Big Charlie’s still belly up to the bar in the belly of the beast.
—Sam Farmer, Los Angeles Times, 3 Feb. 2025
See all Example Sentences for belly 
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Noun
Last month, Daniel White lifted up his red jail uniform to show a small node of medication the size of a walnut that protruded from his belly.
—Ethan Varian, The Mercury News, 6 Feb. 2025
These fish also love weedy areas, which can be a challenge to fish with a plug that has two or three treble hooks hanging off the belly.
—Joe Cermele, Outdoor Life, 5 Feb. 2025
People with this body type have a naturally slow metabolism and a shorter and wider bone structure with a larger abdomen (belly) and hips.1
Endomorphs tend to have shorter arms and legs.
—Laura Schober, Health, 4 Feb. 2025
Yet, even with Philadelphia squaring off against Kansas City in Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans, the patrons of Big Charlie’s still belly up to the bar in the belly of the beast.
—Sam Farmer, Los Angeles Times, 3 Feb. 2025
See all Example Sentences for belly
Dictionary Entries Near belly
Cite this Entry
“Belly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/belly. Accessed 9 Feb. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
Medical Definition
belly
noun
bel·ly
ˈbel-ē 
plural bellies
1
a
b
: the undersurface of an animal's body
d
: the stomach and its adjuncts
2
: the enlarged fleshy body of a muscle
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