fan belt
5
3.7
- noun
- /fæn bɛlt/
- Specialized
:
correa del ventilador
- Broken fan belt, three flat tires.
- squealing fan belt
- a broken fan belt
- the fan belt on your car
Examples
-
Almost new fan belt.
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- Your fan belt is loose.
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It's the fan belt this time, but I got another.
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No wonder her fan belt broke.
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Put in a new fan belt as soon as we get back.
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- Could be the fan belt.
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What you doing? - Tightening the fan belt, sir. - You recognize this guy?
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He talked about transmissions, brake fluid, and fan belts.
Fiction book (1990) -
The car speaks; we used to take turns mimicking the squealing fan belt until I had it tightened up.
Fiction book (1995) -
The fan belt in my car is worn out and needs to be replaced to keep the engine cool.
Synonyms
397
4.3
A loop of flexible material that moves parts in a machine
1
3.5
A belt that moves power from a motor to other machine parts
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'a belt associated with a fan' is directly and compositionally derived from combining 'fan' (mechanical device that moves air) with 'belt' (a loop transmitting power). This noun-noun compound follows a regular modifier + head pattern found cross-linguistically and in technical vocabulary, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents can reasonably infer the MWE's meaning.
Etymology
Fan belt is a very literal name: it is the belt that turns a car's fan, which pulls air 'to cool the engine'. If the belt slips or breaks, the fan stops and the engine can 'get too hot', so the name helps you remember the belt's job.