— bellylike , adj.
/bel"ee/ , n. , pl. bellies , v. , bellied, bellying .
n.
1. the front or under part of a vertebrate body from the breastbone to the pelvis, containing the abdominal viscera; the abdomen.
2. the stomach with its adjuncts.
3. appetite or capacity for food; gluttony.
4. the womb.
5. the inside or interior of anything: the belly of a ship.
6. a protuberant or bulging surface of anything: the belly of a flask.
7. Anat. the fleshy part of a muscle.
8. the front, inner, or under surface or part, as distinguished from the back.
9. the front surface of a violin or similar instrument.
10. a bulge on a vertical surface of fresh concrete.
11. the underpart of the fuselage of an airplane.
v.t.
12. to fill out; swell: Wind bellied the sails.
v.i.
13. to swell out: Sails bellying in the wind.
14. to crawl on one's belly: soldiers bellying through a rice paddy.
15. belly up to , Informal.
a. to approach closely, esp. until one is in physical contact: to belly up to a bar.
b. to curry favor from: Would you have gotten the promotion if you hadn't bellied up to the boss?
16. go or turn belly up , Informal. to come to an end; die; fail: After years of barely surviving on donations, the neighborhood social club finally went belly up.
[ bef. 950; ME bely, OE belig, belg bag, skin; c. G Balg, Goth balgs, ON belgr sack; akin to Welsh bol ( a ), boly, Ir bolg sack, belly, bellows, Serbo-Croatian blàzina, Latvian pabàlsts, Avestan baraziš-, Pers balish cushion ]