Library / English Dictionary

BUCKLE

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 I. (noun) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

Fastener that fastens together two ends of a belt or strap; often has loose prong

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Hypernyms ("buckle" is a kind of...):

fastener; fastening; fixing; holdfast (restraint that attaches to something or holds something in place)

Meronyms (parts of "buckle"):

prong (a pointed projection)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "buckle"):

belt buckle (the buckle used to fasten a belt)

Derivation:

buckle (fasten with a buckle or buckles)

Sense 2

Meaning:

A shape distorted by twisting or folding

Synonyms:

buckle; warp

Classified under:

Nouns denoting two and three dimensional shapes

Hypernyms ("buckle" is a kind of...):

distorted shape; distortion (a shape resulting from distortion)

Derivation:

buckle (bend out of shape, as under pressure or from heat)

 II. (verb) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

Bend out of shape, as under pressure or from heat

Example:

The highway buckled during the heat wave

Synonyms:

buckle; heave; warp

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Hypernyms (to "buckle" is one way to...):

change surface (undergo or cause to undergo a change in the surface)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "buckle"):

lift (rise upward, as from pressure or moisture)

Sentence frame:

Something ----s

Derivation:

buckle (a shape distorted by twisting or folding)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Fold or collapse

Example:

His knees buckled

Synonyms:

buckle; crumple

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Hypernyms (to "buckle" is one way to...):

break; cave in; collapse; fall in; founder; give; give way (break down, literally or metaphorically)

Sentence frames:

Something ----s
Somebody ----s

Sense 3

Meaning:

Fasten with a buckle or buckles

Synonyms:

buckle; clasp

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Hypernyms (to "buckle" is one way to...):

fasten; fix; secure (cause to be firmly attached)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Antonym:

unbuckle (undo the buckle of)

Derivation:

buckle (fastener that fastens together two ends of a belt or strap; often has loose prong)

Credits

 Context examples: 

Away they went, and I was just wondering whether I should not do well to follow them when up the lane came a neat little landau, the coachman with his coat only half-buttoned, and his tie under his ear, while all the tags of his harness were sticking out of the buckles.

(The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

As he did so the narrow black velvet band which she seems always to wear round her throat, buckled with an old diamond buckle which her lover had given her, was dragged a little up, and showed a red mark on her throat.

(Dracula, by Bram Stoker)

During the bustle Jo had scarcely spoken but flown about, looking pale and wild, with her things half off, her dress torn, and her hands cut and bruised by ice and rails and refractory buckles.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)

Ranged on benches down the sides of the room, the eighty girls sat motionless and erect; a quaint assemblage they appeared, all with plain locks combed from their faces, not a curl visible; in brown dresses, made high and surrounded by a narrow tucker about the throat, with little pockets of holland (shaped something like a Highlander's purse) tied in front of their frocks, and destined to serve the purpose of a work-bag: all, too, wearing woollen stockings and country-made shoes, fastened with brass buckles.

(Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Brontë)

On the fourth side, which had no window, two strong staples were fixed, through which the person that carried me, when I had a mind to be on horseback, put a leathern belt, and buckled it about his waist.

(Gulliver's Travels into several remote nations of the world, by Jonathan Swift)

There were milkmaids and shepherdesses, with brightly colored bodices and golden spots all over their gowns; and princesses with most gorgeous frocks of silver and gold and purple; and shepherds dressed in knee breeches with pink and yellow and blue stripes down them, and golden buckles on their shoes; and princes with jeweled crowns upon their heads, wearing ermine robes and satin doublets; and funny clowns in ruffled gowns, with round red spots upon their cheeks and tall, pointed caps. And, strangest of all, these people were all made of china, even to their clothes, and were so small that the tallest of them was no higher than Dorothy's knee.

(The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, by L. Frank Baum)

With more tyrosine attached, the MTs appeared to slide rather than buckle.

(Microtubules’ role in heart cell contraction revealed, NIH)

I have put out your Sunday clothes with the nankeen vest, since you are to see the Prince to-morrow, and you will wear your brown silk stockings and buckle shoes.

(Rodney Stone, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

He buckled down with a will and did his best, though it was all new and strange.

(The Call of the Wild, by Jack London)

Yet here you bring me to a shred of a man, peaky and ill-nourished, with eyes like a moulting owl, who must needs, forsooth, take counsel with his mother ere he buckle sword to girdle.

(The White Company, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)