potbelly

noun

pot·​bel·​ly ˈpät-ˌbe-lē How to pronounce potbelly (audio)
1
: an enlarged, swollen, or protruding abdomen
2

Examples of potbelly in a Sentence

a man with a potbelly he began exercising to get rid of his growing potbelly and to improve his health
Recent Examples on the Web The bathroom was an outhouse, and the family relied on a potbelly stove for heat. Laura Vozzella, Washington Post, 5 June 2023 Medieval men did like a potbelly on their women, though. Diana Gitig, Ars Technica, 11 Feb. 2023 The black potbelly pig was also seen off Airport and University Boulevard, the station reported. Howard Koplowitz | Hkoplowitz@al.com, al, 29 Sep. 2022 Ethel Rae Stewart Smith, who taught two dozen black children in that schoolhouse, had run out of coal for the potbelly stove. Hannah Natanson, Washington Post, 23 Feb. 2020 Every room in the original house had a potbelly stove, so every room has a chimney. Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 21 Nov. 2019 Bale also lost weight — and won an Academy Award — for his role as a heroin addict in 2010’s The Fighter, before adding a potbelly for 2013’s American Hustle. Julie Mazziotta, PEOPLE.com, 8 Nov. 2019 That can also mean taking in and caring for a potbelly pig or small farm animal. Darcy Costello, The Courier-Journal, 18 Oct. 2019 Related Stories Not all of the potbellies are magnetized. David Grossman, Popular Mechanics, 6 Aug. 2019

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'potbelly.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1696, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of potbelly was in 1696

Dictionary Entries Near potbelly

Cite this Entry

“Potbelly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/potbelly. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

potbelly

noun
pot·​bel·​ly ˈpät-ˌbel-ē How to pronounce potbelly (audio)
1
: an enlarged abdomen or one that bulges outward
2
potbellied
-ˈbel-ēd
adjective

Medical Definition

potbelly

noun
pot·​bel·​ly ˈpät-ˌbel-ē How to pronounce potbelly (audio)
plural potbellies
: an enlarged, swollen, or protruding abdomen
also : a condition characterized by such an abdomen that is symptomatic of disease or malnourishment

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