suicide beltn.
/ˈsuːᵻsʌɪd bɛlt/, /ˈsjuːᵻsʌɪd bɛlt/, U.S. /ˈsuəˌsaɪd ˌbɛlt/ 1. A region or zone in which suicide rates are particularly high.
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1881 Liverpool Mercury 5 Oct. 5/4 In Europe..there is a suicide belt, just as there is an earthquake belt.
1952 H. A. Bloch Disorganization xxii. 566 Chicago..gives evidence of a characteristic ‘suicide belt’, concentrated within the highly mobile areas converging upon the central business district of the city.
1997 Sydney Morning Herald (Nexis) 7 July 3 Ken Buggins, who lives in the middle of Australia's suicide belt, felt that if other kids knew how devastating it was for a family to lose a child they'd think twice about killing themselves.
2. A belt fitted with explosives that are connected to a detonator, as worn by a suicide bomber. Cf. explosive belt at explosive adj. 2c.
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society > armed hostility > military equipment > weapon > explosive device > [noun] > other explosive devices
squib1590
Volta's pistol1779
water worm1809
satchel charge1943
thunderflash1943
Willie Peter1963
Willie Pete1972
suicide belt1974
the world > textiles and clothing > clothing > types or styles of clothing > clothing for body or trunk (and limbs) > [noun] > belt or sash > types of > for specific purpose
call belt1686
hunger-belt1846
waist-scarf1853
suicide belt1974
1974 Washington Post 20 Nov. 1/8 The raiders..wore suicide belts of explosives.
1993 Guardian 4 July 15/4 He was supposed to strap on a suicide belt..and blow himself up alongside Bush.
2004 N.Y. Times (National ed.) 1 Apr. a12/4 The F.B.I. had matched ball bearings used in the suicide belts with those used in two January bombings.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, September 2020; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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n.1881