buckle

Definitions

1. 1.A distortion bulge, bend, or kink, as in a saw blade or a plate of sheet metal. Knight.
2. 2.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.
3. 3.A contorted expression, as of the face. [R.] 'Gainst nature armed by gravity, His features too in buckle see. Churchill.
4. 4.To fasten or confine with a buckle or buckles; as, to buckle a harness.
5. 5.To bend; to cause to kink, or to become distorted.
6. 6.To prepare for action; to apply with vigor and earnestness; -- generally used reflexively. Cartwright buckled himself to the employment. Fuller.
7. 7.To join in marriage. [Scot.] Sir W. Scott.
8. 8.To bend permanently; to become distorted; to bow; to curl; to kink. Buckled with the heat of the fire like parchment. Pepys.
9. 9.To bend out of a true vertical plane, as a wall.
10. 10.To yield; to give way; to cease opposing. [Obs.] The Dutch, as high as they seem, do begin to buckle. Pepys.
11. 11.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 Unabridged Dictionary, 1913 edition (public domain, via GCIDE / Project Gutenberg).

Related questions

• What does "buckle" mean?

Reverse-dictionary questions

Definition-first questions whose answer is buckle.

• What is a distortion bulge, bend, or kink, as in a saw blade or a plate of sheet metal. Knight called?
• What is a contorted expression, as of the face. [R.] 'Gainst nature armed by gravity, His features too in buckle see. Churchill called?
• What is to fasten or confine with a buckle or buckles; as, to buckle a harness called?
• What is to bend; to cause to kink, or to become distorted called?
• What is to prepare for action; to apply with vigor and earnestness; -- generally used reflexively. Cartwright buckled himself to the employment. Fuller called?
• What is to join in marriage. [Scot.] Sir W. Scott called?
• What is to bend permanently; to become distorted; to bow; to curl; to kink. Buckled with the heat of the fire like parchment. Pepys called?
• What is to bend out of a true vertical plane, as a wall called?
• What is to yield; to give way; to cease opposing. [Obs.] The Dutch, as high as they seem, do begin to buckle. Pepys called?