buck·le
(bŭḱəl)
[Middle English bokel, from Old French boucle, from Latin buccula, cheek strap of a helmet diminutive of bucca, cheek.]
noun
- A clasp for fastening two ends, as of straps or a belt, in which a device attached to one of the ends is fitted or coupled to the other.
- An ornament that resembles this clasp, such as a metal square on a shoe or hat.
- An instance of bending, warping, or crumpling; a bend or bulge.
verb: -led, -ling, -les.
transitive verb
- To fasten with a buckle.
- To cause to bend, warp, or crumple.
intransitive verb
- To become fastened with a buckle.
- To bend, warp, or crumple, as under pressure or heat.
- To give way; collapse: My knees buckled with fear.
- To succumb, as to exhaustion or authority; give in: finally buckled under the excessive demands of the job.
phrasal verbs
- buckle down
- To apply oneself with determination.
- buckle up
- To use a safety belt, especially in an automobile.
