\Belt\ (b[e^]lt), n. [AS. belt; akin to Icel. belti, Sw.
b["a]lte, Dan. b[ae]lte, OHG. balz, L. balteus, Ir. & Gael.
balt border, belt.]
1. That which engirdles a person or thing; a band or girdle;
   as, a lady's belt; a sword belt.
         The shining belt with gold inlaid.    --Dryden.
2. That which restrains or confines as a girdle.
         He cannot buckle his distempered cause Within the
         belt of rule.                         --Shak.
3. Anything that resembles a belt, or that encircles or
   crosses like a belt; a strip or stripe; as, a belt of
   trees; a belt of sand.
4. (Arch.) Same as {Band}, n., 2. A very broad band is more
   properly termed a belt.
5. (Astron.) One of certain girdles or zones on the surface
   of the planets Jupiter and Saturn, supposed to be of the
   nature of clouds.
6. (Geog.) A narrow passage or strait; as, the Great Belt and
   the Lesser Belt, leading to the Baltic Sea.
7. (Her.) A token or badge of knightly rank.
8. (Mech.) A band of leather, or other flexible substance,
   passing around two wheels, and communicating motion from
   one to the other.
Note: [See Illust. of {Pulley}.]
9. (Nat. Hist.) A band or stripe, as of color, round any
   organ; or any circular ridge or series of ridges.
{Belt lacing}, thongs used for lacing together the ends of
   machine belting.

\Belt\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Belted}; p. pr. & vb. n.
{Belting}.]
To encircle with, or as with, a belt; to encompass; to
surround.
      A coarse black robe belted round the waist. --C. Reade.
      They belt him round with hearts undaunted.
                                               --Wordsworth.
2. To shear, as the buttocks and tails of sheep. [Prov. Eng.]
   --Halliwell.