What does "bellying" mean?
A bulging, swelling or billowing shape; the act or state of bulging, swelling or billowing.
Bellying
adj, noun, verb
adj, noun, verb ·Uncommon ·Advanced level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A bulging, swelling or billowing shape; the act or state of bulging, swelling or billowing.
- Grammar: bellying is listed as adj, noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: baggy, ballooning, bas relief, bellied.
- Useful contrasts: contract, deflate, depression.
- Usage evidence: "So saying, his mighty spear, with all his force, / full at the flank against the ribs he drave, / and pierced the bellying framework of the horse. / Quivering, it stood; the hollow chambers gave / a groan, that echoed from the womb's dark cave."
How to use "bellying"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "bellying" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "bellying" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "bellying" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "bellying" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "bellying" is acting as adj, noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "baggy" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "bellying", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A bulging, swelling or billowing shape; the act or state of bulging, swelling or billowing.
"1693, Simon de la Loubère, A New Historical Relation of the Kingdom of Siam, translated by A.P., London: Tho. Horne, Part II, Chapter II. Of the Houses of the Siamese, and of their Architecture in Publick Buildings, page 32, But the Principal Ornament of the Pagodes, is to be accompanied, as generally they are, with several Pyramids of Lime and Brick […] Some there are which diminish and grow thick again four or five times in their heighth, so that the Profile of them goes waving: But these Bellyings out are smaller as they are in a higher part of the Pyramid."
Verb
- 1 present participle and gerund of belly form-of, gerund, participle, present
Adjective
- 1 Bulging or billowing. not-comparable
"Did it change into the cry of the wind, plaintive at first, angrily shrill as it freshened, rising to a tearing whistle, sinking to a musical trickle of air from the leech of the bellying sail?"
Adjective
- 1 curving outward wordnet
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
Example
""So saying, his mighty spear, with all his force, / full at the flank against the ribs he drave, / and pierced the bellying framework of the horse. / Quivering, it stood; the hollow chambers gave / a groan, that echoed from the womb's dark cave.""
Common questions
What is a synonym for "bellying"?
Common synonyms include: baggy, ballooning, bas relief, bellied, billowy, bloated.
How do you use "bellying" in a sentence?
"So saying, his mighty spear, with all his force, / full at the flank against the ribs he drave, / and pierced the bellying framework of the horse. / Quivering, it stood; the hollow chambers gave / a groan, that echoed from the womb's dark cave."
Etymology
By surface analysis, belly + -ing.