Belting

Part of speech: verb

Pronunciation: /ˈbɛltɪŋ/

Definitions

1. Moving with great force or speed; a strap used for securing items or clothing; a harsh physical punishment involving hitting
2. Acting in a strong and energetic manner; a flexible strip to hold objects together; a disciplinary action involving a beating
3. Performing with powerful intensity or speed; a narrow band or strap for fastening; a corporal punishment through striking

Etymology: The sense "singing very loudly" is a late, informal extension of a very old word for a strip of leather or cloth worn around the waist. That original object is what the verb "belt" follows from: to belt something was to strike it with a belt, and the sung sense grew out of the same idea of a sharp, forceful blow of sound. The noun itself reaches back to Latin "balteus," meaning belt or sword-belt, a word whose ultimate source is traced to Etruscan, the language of the people of early Italy before Rome's rise. From Latin, the word passed into Germanic speech, becoming Old English "belt," which in turn gave rise to a family of cognates across the North Sea and Scandinavia, including Dutch "belt," German "Balz," and Swedish "bälte." The Old English noun already meant a girdle, so the core image has stayed constant for well over a thousand years, while the verb uses have spread outward from it.

Synonyms: screaming, shouting, yelling, bellowing, hollering

Antonyms: whispering, muttering, murmuring, quieting, silencing