Definition

Noun: 1. A strap around the belly of a draft animal: A band or strap that goes around the belly of a horse, ox, or other draft animal to secure the shafts of a cart or wagon. 2. A cloth band worn around the waist: Specifically, a soft band of cloth worn around an infant's abdomen, often to protect or support the navel area until it has fully healed after birth.

Examples

• The farmer tightened the bellyband on the horse before attaching the wagon.
• For the newborn, a soft bellyband was used to keep the diaper in place and protect the healing navel.

Advanced Usage

• Historical/Vocational Context: The term is primarily used in historical, agricultural, or specific vocational contexts related to animal husbandry or traditional infant care. It is not a common word in everyday modern English.
• Functional Description: In both uses, a "bellyband" serves a securing or protective function—either for equipment on an animal or for a part of the human body.

Variants and Related Words

• Girth (noun): A band fastened around the belly of a horse or other animal to secure a saddle or pack. This is a more common modern synonym for the animal-related meaning.
• Cummerbund (noun): A broad waistband, often pleated, worn formally with men's evening wear. This is related in form (a waist band) but not in function.
• Waistband (noun): A strip of cloth forming the waist of a garment.

Synonyms

• For the animal strap: Girth, belly strap.
• For the infant band: Abdominal band, infant binder.

Notes on Meaning

The word "bellyband" clearly combines "belly" and "band," describing its location and form. Its two distinct meanings are linked by this core concept of a band that encircles the midsection but are applied to completely different subjects (animals and human infants). It is considered an archaic or specialized term.

Noun

1. a strap around the belly of a draft animal holding the shafts of a wagon
2. a cloth band that is worn around the waist (as on infants until the navel has healed)