black belt

1 of 2

noun (1)

: one who holds the rating of expert in various arts of self-defense (such as judo and karate)

also : the rating itself

black belt

2 of 2

noun (2)

ˈblak-ˌbelt 

1

: an area characterized by rich black soil

2

often Black Belt : an area densely populated by Black people

The story of civil rights in Tuskegee is also a study in ambiguity, for it is a history at once unusual and typical of the Southern black belt.

—Jim Haskins

Examples of black belt in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Master Frank’s Taekwondo & Family Valerie Loureda is a fifth-degree black belt in taekwondo. — James Varsallone, Miami Herald, 8 July 2026

Black buttons ran down the front of the dress’ placket, while a complementary black belt added definition at the waist. — Julia Teti, Footwear News, 7 July 2026

Vanja Moves, a former elite tennis player and martial artist with a black belt in Taekwondo, experienced this structural failure firsthand. — Ginger Gentile, Forbes.com, 7 July 2026

Palace maids stand around a plump woman, struggling to fasten a black belt sash around her waist. — Lavender Au, The Dial, 30 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Noun (1)

1911, in the meaning defined above

Noun (2)

1832, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Rhymes for black belt

• heartfelt
• snowmelt
• unfelt
• celt
• dealt
• dwelt
• felt
• knelt
• melt
• pelt
• smelt
• spelt

Kids Definition

black belt

noun

: one holding the rating of expert especially in various arts of self-defense (as karate)

also : the rating itself

Geographical Definition

Black Belt

geographical name

strip of rolling prairie land extending across central Alabama and Mississippi with fertile black clayey soil formerly notable for the production of cotton