green belt

• greenbelt

green belt (countable and uncountable, plural green belts)

1. (urban studies) An area of agricultural land around an urban area that is protected from large-scale housing.
   • 2012, Andrew Martin, Underground Overground: A passenger's history of the Tube, Profile Books, →ISBN, page 149:

     The LCC [London County Council] would initiate the campaign for the Green Belt, which the men at the top of London Transport would support.

2. (martial arts, uncountable) An intermediate rank;
   • 1995, Carol A. Wiley, Martial Arts Teachers on Teaching, page 129:

     The advanced (above green belt) class meets for an additional hour, three times per week (Monday, Wednesday, and Friday) .

   • 2013, Yvonne Cruz, Grandmaster Freddie G. Cruz Biography of a True Legend in the Martial Arts World:

     He estimates it was around 1964 when the Japanese stylists of karate brought in the green belt to bridge the gap between white and brown.

   • 2015, Sharit Sinha, Blood Rush, page 36:

     Any green belt martial artist could've done that. Because they were just ordinary goons, hired guns.

3. (martial arts) Someone who has earned the rank of green belt.
   • 2012, T. M. Kubiak, The Certified Six Sigma Master Black Belt Handbook, page 306:

     Develop a career progression ladder for black belts and green belts.

   • 2012, Tom Hill, Essays for Black Belt: 20 Inspirational Student Stories:

     After a month I distinctly remember one of the 'green belts' giving me a thorough but gentle working over in one of the sparring sessions, I was impressed not just with his ability to defeat me, but with the ease with which he did it.

• “green belt”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022.

• Englebert