I. ˈbəklə(r) noun
( -s )
Etymology: Middle English bocler, from Old French, shield with a boss, from bocle boss — more at buckle
1.
a. : a small shield generally round and held by a handle at arm's length and used not to cover the body but to stop or parry blows
b. : a shield of varying shape and size usually worn on the left arm to protect the front of the body
2. : something or someone that shields and protects
3. : a crab whose shell is sufficiently firm to give only slightly under the fingers
4. : a cover of wood or metal made to fit a hawsehole or other opening on a ship
5. : the anterior shield of the shell of a trilobite
6. : one of the large bony external plates found on many ganoid fishes
II. transitive verb
( -ed/-ing/-s )
: to shield or defend with or as if with a buckler