buckle
a clasp consisting of a rectangular or curved rim with one or more movable tongues, fixed to one end of a belt or strap, used for fastening to the other end of the same strap or to another strap.
any similar contrivance used for such purposes.
an ornament of metal, beads, etc., of similar appearance.
a bend, bulge, or kink, as in a board or saw blade.
to fasten with a buckle or buckles: Buckle your seat belt.
to shrivel, by applying heat or pressure; bend; curl.
to prepare (oneself) for action; apply (oneself) vigorously to something.
to bend, warp, or cause to give way suddenly, as with heat or pressure.
to close or fasten with a buckle: Grandmother always wore shoes that buckled.
to prepare oneself or apply oneself: The student buckled to the lesson.
to bend, warp, bulge, or collapse: The bridge buckled in the storm.
to yield, surrender, or give way to another (often followed by under): She refused to take the medicine, but buckled under when the doctor told her to.
buckle down, to set to work with vigor; concentrate on one's work: He was by nature a daydreamer and found it hard to buckle down.
buckle up, to fasten one's belt, seat belt, or buckles: She won't start the car until we've all buckled up.
Origin of buckle
1Other words for buckle
Other words from buckle
- buck·le·less, adjective
- re·buck·le, verb, re·buck·led, re·buck·ling.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use buckle in a sentence
The rule of law, you see, buckles, bends and sometimes crumbles under the weight of racism, sexism, and classism.
What Would Happen if I Got in White Cop’s Face? | Goldie Taylor | December 30, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTThey drink too much, their bellies distend, and most possess a predilection for siliconed blondes and themed belt buckles.
Let Us Now Praise Famous Rednecks and Their Unjustly Unsung Kin | Allison Glock | August 23, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTThey are pointy, zebra-striped Nike Cole Haans with silver buckles strapped onto her two shiny titanium carbon fiber legs.
Tammy Duckworth on Gun Control, Women in Combat | Sandra McElwaine | February 9, 2013 | THE DAILY BEASTIf the stock buckles under another “discovery,” shareholders can take comfort in blaming themselves, not Jamie Dimon.
Jamie Dimon’s Hubris Unshakable as JPMorgan Reelects Him to Top Two Posts | Nomi Prins | May 16, 2012 | THE DAILY BEASTThis high-end Western shop can equip you with a variety of one-of-a-kind buckles, hand-tooled cowboy boots, and authentic hats.
Buckles were first worn as shoe fastenings in the reign of Charles II.
Showell's Dictionary of Birmingham | Thomas T. Harman and Walter ShowellIt was much used a hundred years ago, in the manufacture of buckles.
Showell's Dictionary of Birmingham | Thomas T. Harman and Walter ShowellI had gone to Williamsburg when turning sixteen, and soon learned to love and wear gold and silver buckles on a pewter income.
A Virginia Scout | Hugh PendexterHave you had much practice in holding a whole horse up while the others fasten the buckles?
In Accordance with the Evidence | Oliver OnionsHis knee-breeches were of the finest gray linen, with gray satin bows and silver buckles at the knee bands.
Maid Sally | Harriet A. Cheever
British Dictionary definitions for buckle
/ (ˈbʌkəl) /
a clasp for fastening together two loose ends, esp of a belt or strap, usually consisting of a frame with an attached movable prong
an ornamental representation of a buckle, as on a shoe
a kink, bulge, or other distortion: a buckle in a railway track
to fasten or be fastened with a buckle
to bend or cause to bend out of shape, esp as a result of pressure or heat
Origin of buckle
1Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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