Belch

Part of speech: verb

Pronunciation: /ˈbɛltʃ/

Definitions

1. To forcefully release gas from the stomach through the mouth, often accompanied by sound, indicating excessive consumption or digestive discomfort
2. To emit a loud, abrupt expulsion of air or gas from the digestive tract through the mouth, sometimes due to overeating or drinking
3. To release gas from the stomach loudly through the mouth ; to suddenly discharge smoke, flame, or gas, often in bursts

Etymology: Before it meant a loud gastric eruption, the root of "belch" was a sound of shouting. Its Old English form, "bielċan," meant to roar or shout, and it is linked to Middle Low German "belken," which meant to shout, and to Dutch "balken," meaning to bray. The word therefore began as a noise made by an animal or a person, and only later narrowed to the sound of gas escaping from the stomach. Old English also had "bealċettan," meaning to utter or send forth, which shows the same root working in the sense of a loud outburst. The shift from loud calling to bodily noise is one of the clearest examples of a sound-based word being pinned to a single, specific action.

Synonyms: burp, eruct, expel gas