belly-land

verb

bel·​ly-land ˈbe-lē-ˌland How to pronounce belly-land (audio)
belly-landed; belly-landing; belly-lands

intransitive verb

: to land an airplane on its undersurface without use of landing gear
belly landing noun

Word History

First Known Use

1942, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of belly-land was in 1942

Dictionary Entries Near belly-land

Cite this Entry

“Belly-land.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/belly-land. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

belly-land

verb
bel·​ly-land
ˈbel-ē-ˌland
: to land an airplane without use of landing gear
belly landing noun

More from Merriam-Webster on belly-land

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!