Definify.com

Webster 1913 Edition

Buckle

Buc′kle

,
Noun.
[OE.
bocle
buckle, boss of a shield, OF.
bocle
, F.
boucle
, boss of a shield, ring, fr. L.
buccula
a little cheek or mouth, dim. of
bucca
cheek; this boss or knob resembling a cheek.]
1.
A device, usually of metal, consisting of a frame with one more movable tongues or catches, used for fastening things together, as parts of dress or harness, by means of a strap passing through the frame and pierced by the tongue.
2.
A distortion bulge, bend, or kink, as in a saw blade or a plate of sheet metal.
Knight.
3.
A curl of hair, esp. a kind of crisp curl formerly worn; also, the state of being curled.
Earlocks in tight
buckles
on each side of a lantern face.
W. Irving.
Lets his wig lie in
buckle
for a whole half year.
Addison.
4.
A contorted expression, as of the face.
[R.]
’Gainst nature armed by gravity,
His features too in
buckle
see.
Churchill.

Buc′kle

,
Verb.
T.
[
imp. & p. p.
Buckled
;
p. pr. & vb. n.
Buckling
.]
[OE.
boclen
, F.
boucler
. See
Buckle
,
Noun.
]
1.
To fasten or confine with a buckle or buckles;
as, to
buckle
a harness
.
2.
To bend; to cause to kink, or to become distorted.
Cartwright
buckled
himself to the employment.
Fuller.
4.
To join in marriage.
[Scot.]
Sir W. Scott.

Buc′kle

(bŭk′k’l)
,
Verb.
I.
1.
To bend permanently; to become distorted; to bow; to curl; to kink.
Buckled
with the heat of the fire like parchment.
Pepys.
2.
To bend out of a true vertical plane, as a wall.
3.
To yield; to give way; to cease opposing.
[Obs.]
The Dutch, as high as they seem, do begin to
buckle
.
Pepys.
4.
To enter upon some labor or contest; to join in close fight; to struggle; to contend.
The bishop was as able and ready to
buckle
with the Lord Protector as he was with him.
Latimer.
In single combat thou shalt
buckle
with me.
Shakespeare
To buckle to
,
to bend to; to engage with zeal.
To make our sturdy humor
buckle
there
to
.
Barrow.
Before
buckling to
my winter's work.
J. D. Forbes.

Webster 1828 Edition

Buckle

BUCK'LE

,
Noun.
1.
An instrument made of some kind of metal, for fastening together certain parts of dress, as the straps and bands, as in a harness. The forms are various, but it consists of a ring or rim with a chape and tongue.
2.
A curl, or a state of being curled or crisped, as hair.
3.
In coats of arms, a token of the surety, faith and service of the bearer.

BUCK'LE

,
Verb.
T.
To fasten with a buckle,or buckles.
1.
To prepare for action; a metaphor, taken from buckling on armor.
2.
To join in battle.
3.
To confine or limit
A span buckles in his sum of age.

Definition 2024

buckle

buckle

English

Verb

buckle ‎(third-person singular simple present buckles, present participle buckling, simple past and past participle buckled)

  1. (intransitive) To distort or collapse under physical pressure; especially, of a slender structure in compression.
    • 2012 October 31, David M. Halbfinger, "," New York Times (retrieved 31 October 2012):
      Perhaps as startling as the sheer toll was the devastation to some of the state’s well-known locales. Boardwalks along the beach in Seaside Heights, Belmar and other towns on the Jersey Shore were blown away. Amusement parks, arcades and restaurants all but vanished. Bridges to barrier islands buckled, preventing residents from even inspecting the damage to their property.
  2. (transitive) To make bend; to cause to become distorted.
  3. (intransitive, figuratively) To give in; to react suddenly or adversely to stress or pressure (of a person).
    It is amazing that he has never buckled after so many years of doing such urgent work.
  4. (intransitive) To yield; to give way; to cease opposing.
    • Samuel Pepys
      The Dutch, as high as they seem, do begin to buckle.
  5. (obsolete, intransitive) To enter upon some labour or contest; to join in close fight; to contend.
    • Latimer
      The bishop was as able and ready to buckle with the Lord Protector as he was with him.
    • Shakespeare
      In single combat thou shalt buckle with me.
  6. To buckle down; to apply oneself.
    • Barrow
      To make our sturdy humour buckle thereto.
    • J. D. Forbes
      Before buckling to my winter's work.
    • Fuller
      Cartwright buckled himself to the employment.
Translations

Etymology 2

A buckle (clasp for fastening).

From Middle English bukel ‎(“spiked metal ring for holding a belt, etc”), a borrowing from Old French boucle, bocle ‎(“"boss (of a shield)" then "shield," later "buckle, metal ring”), from Latin buccula ‎(“cheek strap of a helmet”), diminutive of bucca ‎(“cheek”).

Noun

buckle ‎(plural buckles)

  1. (countable) A clasp used for fastening two things together, such as the ends of a belt, or for retaining the end of a strap.
  2. (Canada, heraldry) The brisure of an eighth daughter.
  3. (roofing) An upward, elongated displacement of a roof membrane frequently occurring over insulation or deck joints. A buckle may be an indication of movement with the roof assembly.
  4. A distortion, bulge, bend, or kink, as in a saw blade or a plate of sheet metal.
    (Can we find and add a quotation of Knight to this entry?)
  5. A curl of hair, especially a kind of crisp curl formerly worn; also, the state of being curled.
    • (Can we date this quote?) Washington Irving
      earlocks in tight buckles on each side of a lantern face
    • (Can we date this quote?) Addison
      lets his wig lie in buckle for a whole half year
  6. A contorted expression, as of the face.
    • (Can we date this quote?) Churchill
      'Gainst nature armed by gravity, / His features too in buckle see.
Translations

Verb

buckle ‎(third-person singular simple present buckles, present participle buckling, simple past and past participle buckled)

  1. (transitive) To fasten using a buckle.
  2. (Scotland) To unite in marriage.
    (Can we find and add a quotation of Sir Walter Scott to this entry?)
Translations

See also

Anagrams

Etymology

From a frequentative form of buck ‎(“to bend, buckle”), of Dutch Low Saxon or German Low German origin, related to Dutch bukken ‎(“to stoop, bend, yield, submit”), German bücken ‎(“to stoop, bend”), Swedish bocka ‎(“to buck, bow”), equivalent to buck +‎ -le. Compare Middle Dutch buchelen ‎(“to strive, tug under a load”), German dialectal aufbückeln ‎(“to raise or arch the back”).

Pronunciation

  • (UK) IPA(key): /ˈbʌk(ə)l/
  • (US) IPA(key): /ˈbʌk(ə)l/
  • Rhymes: -ʌkəl

Similar Results