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. [1913 Webster]

2. To bend; to cause to kink, or to become distorted. [1913 Webster]

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. [1913 Webster +PJC]

Cartwright buckled himself to the employment. --Fuller. [1913 Webster]

4. To join in marriage. [Scot.]

--Sir W. Scott. [1913 Webster]

Source: The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
 

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. [1913 Webster]

2. A distortion bulge, bend, or kink, as in a saw blade or a plate of sheet metal. --Knight. [1913 Webster]

3. 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. --W. Irving. [1913 Webster]

Lets his wig lie in buckle for a whole half year. --Addison. [1913 Webster]

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

[1913 Webster]

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

Source: The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
 

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

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

Buckled with the heat of the fire like parchment. --Pepys. [1913 Webster]

2. To bend out of a true vertical plane, as a wall. [1913 Webster]

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

[1913 Webster]

The Dutch, as high as they seem, do begin to buckle. --Pepys. [1913 Webster]

4. 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. --Latimer. [1913 Webster]

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

To buckle to, to bend to; to engage with zeal. [1913 Webster]

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

Before buckling to my winter's work. --J. D. Forbes. [1913 Webster]

Source: The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
 

75 Moby Thesaurus words for "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

Source: Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0
 

buckle

Source: WordNet (r) 2.0
 

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; -- generally used reflexively

Source: Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)
 

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.

Source: Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)
 

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.

Source: Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)