Part 1036

<h1>Belsire</h1> <Xpage=135>

<hw>Bel"sire`</hw> <tt>(?)</tt>, <tt>n.</tt> <ety>[Pref. <ets>bel-</ets> + <ets>sire</ets>. Cf. <er>Beldam</er>.]</ety> <def>A grandfather, or ancestor.</def> "His great <i>belsir</i>e Brute." <mark>[Obs.]</mark>

<i>Drayton.</i>

<h1>Belswagger</h1> <Xpage=135>

<hw>Bel"swag`ger</hw> <tt>(?)</tt>, <tt>n.</tt> <ety>[Contr. from <ets>bellyswagger</ets>.]</ety> <def>A lewd man; also, a bully.</def> <mark>[Obs.]</mark>

<i>Dryden.</i>

<h1>Belt</h1> <Xpage=135>

<hw>Belt</hw> <tt>(?)</tt>, <tt>n.</tt> <ety>[AS. <ets>belt</ets>; akin to Icel. <ets>belti</ets>, Sw. <ets>b\'84lte</ets>, Dan. <ets>b\'91lte</ets>, OHG. <ets>balz</ets>, L. <ets>balteus</ets>, Ir. & Gael. <ets>balt</ets> bo<?/der, belt.]</ety> <p><b>1.</b> <def>That which engirdles a person or thing; a band or girdle; <as>as, a lady's <ex>belt</ex>; a sword <ex>belt</ex>.</as></def>

<blockquote>The shining <b>belt</b> with gold inlaid. <i>Dryden.</i></blockquote>

<p><b>2.</b> <def>That which restrains or confines as a girdle.</def>

<blockquote>He cannot buckle his distempered cause Within the <b>belt</b> of rule. <i>Shak.</i></blockquote>

<p><b>3.</b> <def>Anything that resembles a belt, or that encircles or crosses like a belt; a strip or stripe; <as>as, a <ex>belt</ex> of trees; a <ex>belt</ex> of sand.</as></def>

<p><b>4.</b> <fld>(Arch.)</fld> <def>Same as <er>Band</er>, <tt>n.</tt>, 2. A very broad band is more properly termed a <i>belt</i>.</def>

<p><b>5.</b> <fld>(Astron.)</fld> <def>One of certain girdles or zones on the surface of the planets Jupiter and Saturn, supposed to be of the nature of clouds.</def>

<p><b>6.</b> <fld>(Geog.)</fld> <def>A narrow passage or strait; <as>as, the Great <ex>Belt</ex> and the Lesser <ex>Belt</ex>, leading to the Baltic Sea</as>.</def>

<p><b>7.</b> <fld>(Her.)</fld> <def>A token or badge of knightly rank.</def>

<p><b>8.</b> <fld>(Mech.)</fld> <def>A band of leather, or other flexible substance, passing around two wheels, and communicating motion from one to the other.</def> <note>[See <i>Illust</i>. of <er>Pulley</er>.]</note>

<p><b>9.</b> <fld>(Nat. Hist.)</fld> <def>A band or stripe, as of color, round any organ; or any circular ridge or series of ridges.</def>

<cs><col>Belt lacing</col>, <cd>thongs used for lacing together the ends of machine belting.</cd></cs>

<h1>Belt</h1> <Xpage=135>

<hw>Belt</hw>, <tt>v. t.</tt> <wordforms>[<tt>imp. & p. p.</tt> <er>Belted</er>; <tt>p. pr. & vb. n.</tt> <er>Belting</er>.]</wordforms> <def> To encircle with, or as with, a belt; to encompass; to surround.</def>

<blockquote>A coarse black robe <b>belted</b> round the waist. <i> C. Reade.</i></blockquote>

<blockquote>They <b>belt</b> him round with hearts undaunted. <i> Wordsworth.</i></blockquote>

<p><b>2.</b> <def>To shear, as the buttocks and tails of sheep.</def> <mark>[Prov. Eng.]</mark>

<i>Halliwell.</i>

<h1>Beltane</h1> <Xpage=135>

<hw>Bel"tane</hw> <tt>(?)</tt>, <tt>n.</tt> <ety>[Gael. <ets>bealltainn</ets>, <ets>bealltuinn</ets>.]</ety>

<p><b>1.</b> <def>The first day of May (Old Style).</def>