[1] : The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48

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
see also:
buckled buckling buckle 

[2] : 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

[3] : The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48

buckle \buc"kle\ bu^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
see also:
to buckle to 

[4] : WordNet (r) 2.0

buckle
     n 1: 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
     v 1: 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
see also:
warp clasp unbuckle crumple heave 

[5] : Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0

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

Buckle >> B Words
Buckle, definition of term: Buckle
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