belter meaning: definition, etymology and quotations

Belter

nounalso spelled Belter

Etymology From belt + -er.

Literature, Media, Publishing, Science fiction An inhabitant of an asteroid belt, especially that between Mars and Jupiter.

You noticed a habit of mine once. I never make gestures. All Belters have that trait. It's because on a small mining ship you could hit something waving your arms around.1966 February, Larry Niven, “The Warriors”, in If, volume 16, number 2 (#99 overall), page 152:
Earth and Mars have been stepping on the necks of the Belters out here for over 100 years and I didn't want to be the boot.2015 December 22, Remembering the Cant (The Expanse), season 1, episode 3, spoken by Jim Holden (Steven Strait):

1 more example

He also decided that Belters wouldn’t use the term “bullshit,” because there would be no bulls in the Belt. Instead, they would come up with a uniquely Belter curse, “kaka felota,” a term for what happens when your toilet backs up in low gravity and shit floats all over the place. (“Kata felota” literally means “floating shit.”)2019 December 22, Annalee Newitz and Cyrus Farivar, “Nick Farmer knows dozens of languages, so he invented one for The Expanse”, in Ars Technica, archived from the original on 25 Feb 2021:

noun

UK /ˈbɛltə/ · US /ˈbɛltɚ/

Etymology From Middle English beltere, equivalent to belt + -er.

Historical, Rare A maker or worker of belts.

noun

Etymology From belt (“hit”) + -er (agent noun suffix).

UK, Informal Anything that is particularly good of its class.

When the second goal came, it was a belter - Fabregas launching an inch-perfect ball over the top for Van Persie to volley in without breaking stride.2011 January 22, Ian Hughes, “Arsenal 3 - 0 Wigan”, in BBC:

UK, Informal A very good-looking person.

noun

Etymology From belt (“sing forcefully”) + -er (agent noun suffix) or + -er (patient suffix). Compare West Frisian balter (“screamer, shouter”).

One who sings forcefully.

One who uses the specific vocal technique of belting.

A song suitable for forceful singing.

noun

Etymology From belt + -er, from asteroid belt.

Literature, Media, Publishing, Science fiction A person who mines asteroids for minerals or lives in the vicinity of an asteroid belt.

The Belters watched like men mesmerized. They were spacemen, and used to strange sights, but they would never again see anything as strange as a world burning.1965 March 23, Larry Niven, World of Ptavvs:

Entry derived from the Wiktionary, under licence CC BY-SA 4.0 — authors: page histories for Belter and belter.