potbelly

IPA/ˌpɒtˈbel.i/
IPA/ˌpɑːtˈbel.i/

potbelly — noun

  • potbellysingular
  • potbelliesplural

1. a large, soft stomach that pushes out in a rounded shape, often on a person who

1.名詞C1
釋義

a large, soft stomach that pushes out in a rounded shape, often on a person who is otherwise quite thin

例句

Hugo developed a potbelly after years of late-night pizza and beer.

develop a potbelly for a gradual change

The old farmer patted his round potbelly and laughed at the joke.

同義詞
  • paunch

    a slightly more formal word for the same sticking-out stomach

  • beer belly

    informal; hints that the belly comes from drinking a lot of beer

  • gut

    very informal; can mean the stomach area in general, not only a fat one

文法句型

a potbelly

have a potbelly

develop a potbelly

用法筆記

Carries a teasing or affectionate tone rather than a clinical one; doctors say 'abdominal obesity', while friends say someone has a potbelly. Often paired with the idea that the rest of the body stays slim.

常見錯誤

❌He is very potbelly.
✅He has a potbelly.
💡potbelly is a noun, so a person has one; use the adjective 'potbellied' to describe the person directly.
❌She grew up a potbelly over the winter.
✅She grew a potbelly over the winter.
💡the verb is 'grow a potbelly', not 'grow up a potbelly'.

2. a small, round metal stove that you fill with wood or coal to heat a room

2.名詞C1
釋義

a small, round metal stove that you fill with wood or coal to heat a room

例句

An old potbelly glowed in the corner, warming the small log cabin.

a potbelly used as a room heater

Trang fed another log into the potbelly before the storm hit.

feed a log into the potbelly

同義詞

文法句型

a potbelly

a potbelly stove

by the potbelly

用法筆記

Usually written in full as 'potbelly stove' or 'potbellied stove'; the short form appears mostly in stories about cabins, old workshops, and railway carriages. Distinct from sense 1 because it names an object, not a body part.

常見錯誤

❌They turned on the potbelly to warm the room.
✅They lit the potbelly to warm the room.
💡it burns wood or coal, so you light it rather than turn it on.