bellybutton en · NOUN
Pronunciation
- (US) audio
Etymology
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *bʰelǵʰ- Proto-Indo-European *-is Proto-Indo-European *bʰólǵʰis Proto-Germanic *balgiz Proto-West Germanic *balgi Old English bielġ Middle English bely English belly English button English bellybutton From belly + button.
Meanings
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(informal) The navel or umbilicus.
Some people can’t even bear the thought of picking the fluff out of their bellybuttons - these people suffer from what is known as omphalophobia.
2019 June 14, “Five phobias you didn’t know existed”, in BBC Bitesize:Always used to have pain about navel when a boy (used to call it bellybutton ache)[…]
1909, The Boston Medical and Surgical Journal:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| belly button | alternative | lexicographic | |
| bellybuttons | Number=Plur | lexicographic |