/ ˈbʌkl; NAmE / verb , noun
■ verb
1.
buckle (sth on / up) to fasten sth or be fastened with a buckle :
[ vn ]
She buckled her belt.
He buckled on his sword.
[ v ]
These shoes buckle at the side.
2.
to become crushed or bent under a weight or force; to crush or bend sth in this way :
[ v ]
The steel frames began to buckle under the strain.
( figurative )
A weaker man would have buckled under the pressure.
[ vn ]
The crash buckled the front of my car.
3.
[ v ] when your knees or legs buckle or when you buckle at the knees, your knees become weak and you start to fall
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PHRASAL VERBS
- buckle down (to sth)
- buckle up
■ noun
a piece of metal or plastic used for joining the ends of a belt or for fastening a part of a bag, shoe, etc.
—picture at shoe
••
WORD ORIGIN
Middle English : from Old French bocle , from Latin buccula cheek strap of a helmet, from bucca cheek. Senses 2 and 3 are from French boucler to bulge.