verb
belch
BEHLCH
verb
1
To release gas from the stomach out through the mouth, usually noisily.
"He belched loudly after finishing his soda."
2
To throw out something forcefully and often noisily, especially smoke or flames.
"The old factory chimney belched thick black smoke into the sky."
noun
1
The act or sound of belching.
"A loud belch escaped him right in the middle of dinner."
How to Use Belch
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishTo burp, or to spew something out forcefully like smoke or fire.
When to use it
The bodily-function sense is informal; the "belch smoke/flames" sense is common in more formal or literary writing.
Common pairings
belch smoke
belch flames
let out a belch
Word Forms
belched past tense, belches plural, Belches plural, belches singular
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Etymology
From Old English bielcan, likely imitating the sound itself, related to Low German words meaning "to bark" or "shout."