Definitions
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- adjective defunct; bankrupt; -- used mostly of commercial organizations; often used in the phrase go belly-up, i. e. to go bankrupt.
- intransitive verb to approach (a counter) and stand in front of it; -- used mostly in the phrase belly up to the bar (i.e. to a counter in a saloon).
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- adjective idiomatic
Dead ordefunct . - verb idiomatic To gather close to, or approach
eagerly orassertively , as abar for orderingalcoholic drinks.
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- adjective financially ruined
Etymologies
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Examples
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treeseed commented on the word belly up
Something is dying or failing, as in, "the relationship is going belly up."
Or meaning approaching the bar or taking a seat at the bar, as a verb, as in "belly up to the bar".
February 29, 2008