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
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
Kayla Grant, People.com, 24 July 2025
Rembrandt’s queen has a double chin, a full belly, awkward proportions, and a doll-like and shiny face.
—Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 19 July 2025
Go see the milking demonstrations with dairy cows: Head over to the Millennium Barn to see cows milked at 2:15 and 4:15 p.m daily.
See a show free at the Hangar until 5 p.m.: Daily performances including folklorico and belly dancing, choirs, martial arts demonstrations and clog dancers.
—Marla Jo Fisher, Oc Register, 19 July 2025
Fitzpatrick said in 2019 Wilson was admitted for laparoscopic surgery but, as sometimes happens, it was converted to open surgery where he was cut from the sternum to the belly.
—Pamela McLoughlin, Hartford Courant, 11 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for belly
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Noun
During her appearance on Late Night with Seth Meyers on Wednesday, July 23, the actress, 37, opened up about the differences between having an actual baby bump versus using a fake belly for her role in The Fantastic Four: First Steps.
—Kayla Grant, People.com, 24 July 2025
Rembrandt’s queen has a double chin, a full belly, awkward proportions, and a doll-like and shiny face.
—Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 19 July 2025
Go see the milking demonstrations with dairy cows: Head over to the Millennium Barn to see cows milked at 2:15 and 4:15 p.m daily.
See a show free at the Hangar until 5 p.m.: Daily performances including folklorico and belly dancing, choirs, martial arts demonstrations and clog dancers.
—Marla Jo Fisher, Oc Register, 19 July 2025
Fitzpatrick said in 2019 Wilson was admitted for laparoscopic surgery but, as sometimes happens, it was converted to open surgery where he was cut from the sternum to the belly.
—Pamela McLoughlin, Hartford Courant, 11 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for belly
Cite this Entry
“Belly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/belly. Accessed 29 Jul. 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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