Main Entry:

¹bel·ly

Pronunciation:

\ˈbe-lē\

Function:

noun

Inflected Form(s):

plural bellies

Etymology:

Middle English bely bellows, belly, from Old English belg bag, skin; akin to Old High German balg bag, skin, Old English blāwan to blow — more at blow

Date:

before 12th century

1 a: abdomen 1 ; also : potbelly 1 b: the stomach and its adjuncts c: the undersurface of an animal's body ; also : hide from this part d: womb, uterus2: an internal cavity : interior3: appetite for food4: a surface or object curved or rounded like a human belly5 a: the enlarged fleshy body of a muscle b: the part of a sail that swells out when filled with wind6: gut 1a(2)