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Glite Dictionary
seat belt

seat belt

148 1.0
A strap that keeps a person sitting in a car or plane during an accident
  • noun
  • /siːt bɛlt/
translation icon : cinturón de seguridad
  • The plane reached cruising altitude, and the seat belt sign went off.
  • use seat belts
  • increase in seat belt use

Fortunately, this car has automatic seat belt extenders.

Autoplay Next

Examples

  • You'll have to fasten your seat belt first," he said, so I did.

    Fiction book (1994)

  • Fasten your seat belt, please.

    Last Action Hero (1993)

  • I had my seat belt on and I took it off.

    The Basement Yard

  • Put your seat belt on.

    About Cherry (2012)

  • Put on your seat belt.

    Dante's Peak (1997)

  • You insist that your child wear his seat belt anytime he gets into the car.

    Blog text (15)

  • Please fasten your seat belt.

    The Incredibles (2004)

  • A taxi driver is likely to remind you to fasten your seat belt.

    Academic text (2008)

  • Instinctively, Caleb pulled the seat belt to strap himself in.

    Fiction book (1996)

  • In an accident, wearing a seat belt can save your life.

Synonyms

seatbelt
vsseat belt
68 1.0

A strap in a car or plane that keeps you safe in a crash

is identical in meaning but written with a space between parts
safety belt
vsseat belt
7 1.0

A strap that keeps a person fastened to a seat to protect them in a crash or fall

is specific to vehicle and aircraft use rather than wider safety applications

How Protective

harness
76 3.1
seat belt
148 1.0
hip belt
1 3.2

Surface Forms

seat belt singular
seat belts plural
seat-belts plural
seat-belt singular

Morphology

seat + belt

The meaning 'a belt used with a seat to keep a person secure' is directly derivable from combining 'seat' (where one sits) and 'belt' (a strap), following a transparent noun‑noun compounding pattern. This compositional pattern is common cross‑linguistically and matches learners' expectations about functional compounds, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents will readily understand it.

Etymology

The name seat belt comes from the simple image of a belt fastened to a seat to hold a person in place. The belt stops you from moving forward in a sudden stop or crash, so the phrase means the 'safety belt' that helps protect you.