buckle

• POS: Noun, Verb (usu participle)
• HYPHEN: Buck=le

CIDE DICTIONARY

buckle, n. [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.].

•  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.  [1913 Webster]
•  A distortion bulge, bend, or kink, as in a saw blade or a plate of sheet metal.  Knight.  [1913 Webster]
•  A curl of hair, esp. a kind of crisp curl formerly worn; also, the state of being curled.  [1913 Webster]

  "Earlocks in tight buckles on each side of a lantern face."  [1913 Webster]

  "Lets his wig lie in buckle for a whole half year."  [1913 Webster]
•  A contorted expression, as of the face.  [1913 Webster]

  "'Gainst nature armed by gravity,
  His features too in buckle see."  [1913 Webster]

buckle, v. t. [OE. boclen, F. boucler. See Buckle, n.].

•  To fasten or confine with a buckle or buckles; as, to buckle a harness.  [1913 Webster]
•  To bend; to cause to kink, or to become distorted.  [1913 Webster]
•  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.  [1913 Webster]

  "Cartwright buckled himself to the employment."  [1913 Webster]
•  To join in marriage.  Sir W. Scott.  [1913 Webster]

buckle, v. i. 

•  To bend permanently; to become distorted; to bow; to curl; to kink.  [1913 Webster]

  "Buckled with the heat of the fire like parchment."  [1913 Webster]
•  To bend out of a true vertical plane, as a wall.  [1913 Webster]
•  To yield; to give way; to cease opposing.  [1913 Webster]

  "The Dutch, as high as they seem, do begin to buckle."  [1913 Webster]
•  To enter upon some labor or contest; to join in close fight; to struggle; to contend.  [1913 Webster]

  "The bishop was as able and ready to buckle with the Lord Protector as he was with him."  [1913 Webster]

  "In single combat thou shalt buckle with me."  [1913 Webster]

  "To make our sturdy humor buckle thereto."  [1913 Webster]

  "Before buckling to my winter's work."  [1913 Webster]

To buckle to, to bend to; to engage with zeal.

OXFORD DICTIONARY

buckle, n. & v.
--n.
1 a flat often rectangular frame with a hinged pin, used for joining the ends of a belt, strap, etc.
2 a similarly shaped ornament, esp. on a shoe.
--v.
1 tr. (often foll. by up, on, etc.) fasten with a buckle.
2 tr. & intr. (often foll. by up) give way or cause to give way under longitudinal pressure; crumple up.

Idiom

buckle down make a determined effort. buckle to (or down to) prepare for, set about (work etc.). buckle to get to work, make a vigorous start.

Etymology

ME f. OF boucle f. L buccula cheek-strap of a helmet f. bucca cheek: sense 2 of v. f. F boucler bulge

THESAURUS

buckle

anamorphism, anamorphosis, articulate, asymmetry, batten, batten down, bend, bolt, bulge, butt, button, catch, cave in, clasp, cleat, clip, collapse, contort, contortion, crook, crookedness, crumple, detorsion, deviation, disproportion, distort, distortion, dovetail, fastener, fastening, gnarl, hasp, hinge, hitch, hook, imbalance, irregularity, jam, joint, knot, latch, lock, lopsidedness, miter, mortise, nail, peg, pin, quirk, rabbet, rivet, scarf, screw, sew, skewer, snap, spring, staple, stick, stitch, tack, toggle, torsion, tortuosity, turn, turn awry, twist, unsymmetry, warp, wedge, wrench, wrest, wring, writhe, zipper

ROGET THESAURUS

buckle

Junction

VB join, unite, conjoin, connect, associate, put together, lay together, clap together, hang together, lump together, hold together, piece together, tack together, fix together, bind up together together, embody, reembody, roll into one, attach, fix, affix, saddle on, fasten, bind, secure, clinch, twist, make fast, tie, pinion, string, strap, sew, lace, tat, stitch, tack, knit, button, buckle, hitch, lash, truss, bandage, braid, splice, swathe, gird, tether, moor, picket, harness, chain, fetter, lock, latch, belay, brace, hook, grapple, leash, couple, accouple, link, yoke, bracket, marry, bridge over, span, braze, pin, nail, bolt, hasp, clasp, clamp, crimp, screw, rivet, impact, solder, set, weld together, fuse together, wedge, rabbet, mortise, miter, jam, dovetail, enchase, graft, ingraft, inosculate, entwine, intwine, interlink, interlace, intertwine, intertwist, interweave, entangle, twine round, belay, tighten, trice up, screw up, be joined, hang together, hold together, cohere.

Connection

N connection, vinculum, link, connective, connection, junction, bond of union, copula, hyphen, intermedium, bracket, bridge, stepping-stone, isthmus, bond, tendon, tendril, fiber, cord, cordage, riband, ribbon, rope, guy, cable, line, halser, hawser, painter, moorings, wire, chain, string, fastener, fastening, tie, ligament, ligature, strap, tackle, rigging, standing rigging, running rigging, traces, harness, yoke, band ribband, bandage, brace, roller, fillet, inkle, with, withe, withy, thong, braid, girder, tiebeam, girth, girdle, cestus, garter, halter, noose, lasso, surcingle, knot, running knot, cabestro, cinch, lariat, legadero, oxreim, suspenders, pin, corking pin, nail, brad, tack, skewer, staple, corrugated fastener, clamp, U-clamp, C-clamp, cramp, cramp iron, ratchet, detent, larigo, pawl, terret, treenail, screw, button, buckle, clasp, hasp, hinge, hank, catch, latch, bolt, latchet, tag, tooth, hook, hook and eye, lock, holdfast, padlock, rivet, anchor, grappling iron, trennel, stake, post, cement, glue, gum, paste, size, wafer, solder, lute, putty, birdlime, mortar, stucco, plaster, grout, viscum, shackle, rein, prop.

Convolution

N convolution, winding, convolution, involution, circumvolution, wave, undulation, tortuosity, anfractuosity, sinuosity, sinuation, meandering, circuit, circumbendibus, twist, twirl, windings and turnings, ambages, torsion, inosculation, reticulation, rivulation, roughness, coil, roll, curl, buckle, spiral, helix, corkscrew, worm, volute, rundle, tendril, scollop, scallop, escalop, kink, ammonite, snakestone, serpent, eel, maze, labyrinth, knot, convoluted, winding, twisted, tortile, tortive, wavy, undated, undulatory, circling, snaky, snake-like, serpentine, serpent, anguill, vermiform, vermicular, mazy, tortuous, sinuous, flexuous, anfractuous, reclivate, rivulose, scolecoid, sigmoid, sigmoidal, spiriferous, spiroid, involved, intricate, complicated, perplexed, labyrinth, labyrinthic, labyrinthian, labyrinthine, peristaltic, daedalian, kinky, knotted, wreathy, frizzly, crepe, buckled, raveled, spiral, coiled, helical, cochleate, cochleous, screw-shaped, turbinated, turbiniform, in and out, round and round, a can of worms, Gordian knot.