What is "buckle"

Buckle \Buc"kle\ (b[u^]k"k'l), v. i.

1. To bend permanently; to become distorted; to bow; to curl; to kink.

   Buckled with the heat of the fire like parchment.
   --Pepys.

2. To bend out of a true vertical plane, as a wall.

3. To yield; to give way; to cease opposing. [Obs.]

   The Dutch, as high as they seem, do begin to buckle.
   --Pepys.

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.
   --Latimer.

   In single combat thou shalt buckle with me.
   --Shak.

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

   To make our sturdy humor buckle thereto.
   --Barrow.

   Before buckling to my winter's work.
   --J. D. Forbes.

Buckle \Buc"kle\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Buckled; p. pr. & vb. n. Buckling.] [OE. boclen, F. 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.
   --Fuller.

4. To join in marriage. [Scot.]
   --Sir W. Scott.

Buckle \Buc"kle\, 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.]

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.
   --W. Irving.

   Lets his wig lie in buckle for a whole half year.
   --Addison.

4. A contorted expression, as of the face. [R.]

   'Gainst nature armed by gravity, His features too in buckle see.
   --Churchill.

late 14c., bokelen, "to fasten with a buckle," from buckle (n.). Related: Buckled; buckling. To buckle down "apply effort, settle down," (1874) is said to be a variant of knuckle down (see knuckle).

"spiked metal ring for holding a belt, etc., c.1300, bukel, from Old French bocle "boss (of a shield)," then "shield," then by further extension "buckle, metal ring," (12c., Modern French boucle), from Latin buccula "cheek strap of a helmet," in Late Latin "boss of a shield," diminutive of bucca "cheek" (see bouche).\n\nBoucle in the middle ages had the double sense of a "shield's boss" and "a ring"; the last sense has alone survived, and it metaph. developed in the boucle de cheveux, ringlets.

[Kitchin]

"distort, warp, bend out of shape" 1520s, bokelen "to arch the body," from Middle French boucler "to bulge," from Old French bocler "to bulge," from bocle "boss of a shield" (see buckle (n.)). Meaning "bend under strong pressure" is from 1590s (figurative from 1640s) . Related: Buckled; buckling.

Etymology 1 vb. 1 (context intransitive English) To distort or collapse under physical pressure; especially, of a slender structure in compression. 2 (context transitive English) To make bend; to cause to become distorted. 3 (context intransitive figuratively English) To give in; to react suddenly or adversely to stress or pressure (of a person). 4 (context intransitive English) To yield; to give way; to cease opposing. 5 (context obsolete intransitive English) To enter upon some labour or contest; to join in close fight; to contend. 6 To buckle down; to apply oneself. Etymology 2

n. 1 (context countable English) A clasp used for fastening two things together, such as the ends of a belt, or for retaining the end of a strap. 2 (context Canada heraldry English) The brisure of an eighth daughter. 3 (context roofing English) An upward, elongated displacement of a roof membrane frequently occurring over insulation or deck joints. A buckle may be an indication of movement with the roof assembly. 4 A distortion, bulge, bend, or kink, as in a saw blade or a plate of sheet metal. 5 A curl of hair, especially a kind of crisp curl formerly worn; also, the state of being curled. 6 A contorted expression, as of the face. vb. 1 (context transitive English) To fasten using a buckle. 2 (context Scotland English) To unite in marriage.

1. v. fasten with a buckle or buckles [syn: clasp] [ant: unbuckle]

2. fold or collapse; "His knees buckled" [syn: crumple]

3. bend out of shape, as under pressure or from heat; "The highway buckled during the heatwave" [syn: heave, warp]

1. n. fastener that fastens together two ends of a belt or strap; often has loose prong

2. a shape distorted by twisting or folding [syn: warp]

The buckle or clasp is a device used for fastening two loose ends, with one end attached to it and the other held by a catch in a secure but adjustable manner. Often taken for granted, the invention of the buckle has been indispensable in securing two ends before the invention of the zipper. The basic buckle frame comes in a variety of shapes and sizes depending on the intended use and fashion of the era. Buckles are as much in use today as they have been in the past. Used for much more than just securing one’s belt, instead it is one of the most dependable devices in securing a range of items.

The Buckle, Inc. is a fashion retailer and selling clothing, footwear, and accessories for young men and women. The company operates 463 stores in 44 US states, under the names Buckle and The Buckle. Buckle markets brand names and private label apparel, including denims, other casual bottoms, tops/shirts, activewear, outerwear, accessories and footwear.

Buckle may refer to:

• Buckle, a clasp used for fastening two things together
• Buckle (casting), a type of casting defect
• Buckle (store), a retailer of medium- to high-priced casual apparel, footwear and accessories for young men and women
• Buckling, a failure mode characterized by a sudden failure of a structural member subjected to high compressive stresses
• Buckle (surname)
• Buckles, a comic strip by David Gilbert about the misadventures of an anthropomorphic naïve dog
• Buckles, Virginia
• A type of Cobbler (food) used as a dessert
• A character from " An Apocalypse to Remember", an episode of American Dad
• Buckle Sports Coupe, an automobile produced in Australia from 1956 to 1960
• Frank Buckles, the last American veteran of World War I to die
• Blimp, the bottom part of the blimp is known as the buckle

Buckle is a surname, and may refer to:

• Andrew Buckle (born 1982), Australian golfer
• Baldrick Buckle (born 1972), British artist
• Bobby Buckle (1869–1959), English footballer
• Catherine Buckle, Zimbabwean writer
• Charles G. Palmer-Buckle (born 1950) is a Ghanaian Catholic archbishop
• Claude Buckle (1905–1973), English painter
• Claude Buckle (admiral) (1803–1894), English naval officer
• Desmond Buckle (1910–1964), Ghanaian political activist
• Francis Buckle (1766–1832), English jockey
• George Earle Buckle (1854–1935), English editor and biographer
• Harry Buckle (1882–?), Irish footballer
• Henry Thomas Buckle (1821–1862), English historian
• John Buckle (1867–1925), British trade unionist and politician
• Paul Buckle (born 1970), English footballer
• Richard Buckle (1916-2001), British ballet critic
• Robert Buckle (1802-1893), English clergyman
• Ted Buckle (1924–1990), English footballer
• Terry Buckle (born 1940), Canadian archbishop
• Walter Clutterbuck Buckle (1886–1955), Canadian politician