See Also: Sun Belt(dictionary)
belt(medicine)
Under the belt(finance)
fan belt(dictionary)
Under the belt(money)
belt(2)(dictionary)
belt(1)(dictionary)
Bible Belt(dictionary)
Corn Belt(dictionary)
conveyor belt(encyclopedia)

belt(2) (iou)



belt verb. ME.
[from the noun.]
verb trans. Put a belt on or around; invest with a distinctive belt (esp. of knighthood). ME.
Sir W. Scott Allen-a-Dale was ne'er belted a knight.
b. Fasten on with a belt. E16.
T. Pennant An enormous shield..is belted to his body.
verb trans. Thrash with a belt. L15.
b. Hit; attack; give a thrashing to. M19.
belt the bottle slang drink heavily.
J. Galsworthy Megan'll get his mates to belt him.
verb trans. Shear the hindquarters of (a sheep). Now rare or obsolete. E16.
verb trans. Encircle with a band of colour etc.; surround; mark with bands or stripes. M16.
Wordsworth They belt him round with hearts undaunted. J. N. Lockyer The meteors belted the sky like the meridians on a terrestrial globe.
verb intrans. Hurry, rush. colloq. L19.
T. Mangold There can be no errors when the equivalent of five million tons of TNT is belting towards Washington at 18,000 miles an hour.
With adverbs in specialized senses: belt down colloq. of the sun's rays etc.: beat down (see BEAT verb1 4b). belt out verb phr. trans. (colloq.) sing, play, utter, etc., vigorously. belt up colloq. (a) be quiet, shut up; (b) fasten a seat belt, wear a seat belt.