Buckle
Buckle ({not transcribed}) , noun
[Old English bocle buckle, boss of a shield, Old French bocle, French boucle, boss of a shield, ring, from Latin 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.
Lets his wig lie in buckle for a whole half year.
4.
A contorted expression, as of the face. [Rare]
'Gainst nature armed by gravity,
His features too in buckle see.
Buckle ({not transcribed}) , transitive verb
[Old English boclen, French boucler. See Buckle, n.]
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.
3.
To prepare for action; to apply with vigor and earnestness; -- formerly, generally used reflexively, but by mid 20th century, usually used with down; -- as, the programmers buckled down and worked late hours to finish the project in time for the promised delivery date.
Cartwright buckled himself to the employment.
4.
To join in marriage. [Scottish] — Sir W. Scott
Buckle (buk"k'l) , intransitive verb
1.
To bend permanently; to become distorted; to bow; to curl; to kink.
Buckled with the heat of the fire like parchment.
2.
To bend out of a true vertical plane, as a wall.
3.
To yield; to give way; to cease opposing. [Obsolete]
The Dutch, as high as they seem, do begin to buckle.
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.
In single combat thou shalt buckle with me.
To make our sturdy humor buckle thereto.
Before buckling to my winter's work.
Collocations (1)
To buckle to , to bend to; to engage with zeal.