main belt

alternative Main Belt

1. astronomySynonym of asteroid belt; the main asteroid belt in the Solar System located roughly between the orbits of the planets Mars and Jupiter.

   Dr. Witt suspected a highly eccentric orbit, enabling this asteroid to travel outside the main belt. He found that the majority of the asteroid's orbit was within that of Mars and named it Eros.

   2002, Edward C. Blair, Asteroids: Overview, Abstracts, and Bibliography, Nova Publishers, →ISBN, page 15

   1 more example

   Such collisions may be the mechanism that sends fragments across the asteroid belt toward Earth and the terrestrial planets. If they survive passage through the main belt they may eventually establish elliptical orbits among the inner planets.

   2008, O. Richard Norton, Lawrence Chitwood, Field Guide to Meteors and Meteorites, Springer Science & Business Media, →ISBN, page 28

   Synonyms: main asteroid belt, Main Asteroid Belt, asteroid belt

plural main belts · alternative Main Belt

1. governmentThe primary belt of armor protecting the sides of a warship above and slightly below the waterline.

1. Alternative letter-case form of main belt.