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buck·le

(bŭkəl)

1. A clasp for fastening two ends, as of straps or a belt, in which a device attached to one of the ends is fitted or coupled to the other.

2. An ornament that resembles this clasp, such as a metal square on a shoe or hat.

3. An instance of bending, warping, or crumpling; a bend or bulge.

v. buck·led, buck·ling, buck·les

v.tr.

1. To fasten with a buckle.

2. To cause to bend, warp, or crumple.

v.intr.

1. To become fastened with a buckle.

2. To bend, warp, or crumple, as under pressure or heat.

3. To give way; collapse: My knees buckled with fear.

4. To succumb, as to exhaustion or authority; give in: finally buckled under the excessive demands of the job.

Phrasal Verbs:

buckle down

To apply oneself with determination.

buckle up

To use a safety belt, especially in an automobile.

[Middle English bokel, from Old French boucle, from Latin buccula, cheek strap of a helmet, diminutive of bucca, cheek.]

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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