Sekirov Dictionary

buckle

/ˈbʌkəl/

verb 10
noun 8
forms 5
phrases 5

verb10

•
To cause (something) to bend, or to become distorted.
- [R]eason doth buckle and bovve the Mind vnto the Nature of things. — 1605
•
Of a thing (especially a slender structure under compression): to collapse or distort under physical pressure.
- Sideways leaning, we sideways darted; every ropeyarn tingling like a wire; the two tall masts buckling like Indian canes in land tornadoes. — 1851
•
(figurative) Of a person: to (suddenly) cease resisting pressure or stress; to give in or give way, to yield.
- It is amazing that he has never buckled after so many years of doing such urgent work.
•
To fasten (something) using a buckle; hence (obsolete), to fasten (something) in any way.
- Iust. [i.e., the Lord Chief Justice, William Gascoigne] VVel, the truth is sir Iohn, you liue in great infamy. / Falst[aff]. He that buckles himselfe in my belt cannot liue in lesse. — 1596
•
[with oneself] (figurative) To apply (oneself) to, or prepare (oneself) for, a task or work; also (obsolete), to equip (oneself) for a battle, expedition, etc.
- He left his lofty steede to aide him neare, / And buckling soone him selfe, gan fiercely fly / Vppon that Carle, to saue his friend from ieopardy. — 1596
•
(figurative) To apply oneself to or prepare for a task or work.
- The first thing vve doe in the morning before vve either eate or drink, or buckle about any vvorldly businesse, is to put our clothes about vs: vve say, vve are not ready, till vve haue done that. — 1623
•
(UK, figurative) To unite (people) in marriage; to marry.
- [T]ake my advice, and marry in the first place vvhere vve can find a curate; or make use of our friend the licentiate, vvho vvill buckle you handsomely. — 1755
•
(UK, figurative) To unite with someone in marriage; to marry.
- Yet thou, they say, for Marriage do'st provide: / Is this an Age to Buckle vvith a Bride? — 1693
•
(dialect, figurative) To participate in some contest or labour; to join in close fight; to contend.
- So they buckled together, and the Heithen were discomfited, and fled ouer the playne felde: but the hynmost of them were slayne. — 1535
(no longer used) To curl (hair).

noun8

•
A metal clasp with a hinged tongue or a spike through which a belt or strap is passed and penetrated by the tongue or spike, in order to fasten the ends of the belt together or to secure the strap to something else.
- Tongue of my shoe-buckle broke. […] Bought a new head to my cane, and a tongue to my buckle. Drank a glass of purl to recover appetite. — 1712
•
Some other form of clasp used to fasten two things together.
- He must be forging the buckle-screw, sir, now. […] Carpenter, when he's through with that buckle, tell him to forge a pair of steel shoulder-blades; there's a pedlar aboard with a crushing pack. — 1851
•
A distortion; a bend, bulge, or kink.
- We can’t use that saw any more. It’s got a buckle in its blade.
An upward, elongated displacement of a roof membrane, frequently occurring over deck joints or insulation, which may indicate movement of the roof assembly.
(US, Canada) Usually preceded by a descriptive word: a cake baked with fresh fruit (often blueberries) and a streusel topping.
A great conflict or struggle.
(Canada) An image of a clasp used as the brisure of an eighth daughter.
•
(no longer used) A curl of hair, especially a kind of crisp curl formerly worn; also (countable, uncountable), the state of hair being curled in this manner.
- For vvhat's a VVoman, vvhen her Virtue's gone? / A Coat vvithout its Lace; VVig out of Buckle; / A Stocking vvith a Hole in't. — 1730

forms

buckled · buckling · buckles · buckleth · bucklest

Phrases with buckle

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