belt

Pronunciation: /ˈbɛlt/

Reading level: hard

Estimated CEFR level: B2 — Upper-Intermediate

Estimated from word frequency; not an official CEFR classification.

Definition

  1. noun endless loop of flexible material between two rotating shafts or pulleys
  2. noun a band to tie or buckle around the body (usually at the waist)
  3. noun an elongated region where a specific condition or characteristic is found

Etymology

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”), Swedish bälte (“belt, cincture, girdle, zone”) and Icelandic belti (“belt”).

In classic literature

Semantic network

Broader (hypernyms)
loop
Narrower (hyponyms)
track, fan belt, conveyer belt, driving belt, band

A single word — an entire dictionary opens.

Type a word, a sentence, a book title, or a link to an English article. WordNet and the Classics answer.

Try

A library of classics · a vault of words · instant etymology & meaning

Continue reading

Nice save! Solidify it with review →