belly up

bel·ly

 (bĕl′ē)

n. pl. bel·lies

1. See abdomen.

2. The underside of the body of certain vertebrate animals, such as a snake.

3. A cut of meat from the underside of an animal, especially a pig.

4. Informal

a. The stomach.

b. An appetite for food.

5. The womb; the uterus.

6.

a. A part that bulges or protrudes: the belly of a sail.

b. Anatomy The bulging, central part of a muscle.

7. A deep or central interior space: the engine in the belly of a ship; fish down in the belly of a river.

intr. & tr.v. bel·lied, bel·ly·ing, bel·lies

To bulge or cause to bulge. See Synonyms at bulge.

Phrasal Verb:

belly up

To approach closely: belly up to the bar.

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[Middle English beli, from Old English belg, bag; see bhelgh- in Indo-European roots.]

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.