buckle
noun · verb
Simple meaning
Fastener that fastens together two ends of a belt or strap.
Pronunciation
Say it like this:
buhkuhlSay the bold part a little louder.
IPA pronunciation (US)
ˈbʌkəl
This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.
IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.
Definition
Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.
noun
Fastener that fastens together two ends of a belt or strap; often has loose prong
A metal clasp with a hinged tongue or a spike through which a belt or strap is passed and penetrated by the tongue or spike, in order to fasten the ends of the belt together or to secure the strap to something else.
by extension
Some other form of clasp used to fasten two things together.
A great conflict or struggle.
countable
A distortion; a bend, bulge, or kink.
verb
intransitive
Of a thing (especially a slender structure under compression): to collapse or distort under physical pressure.
intransitivefigurative
Of a person: to (suddenly) cease resisting pressure or stress; to give in or give way, to yield.
transitive
To cause (something) to bend, or to become distorted.
transitivefigurative
(British, dialectal (especially Scotland) or humorous) To unite (people) in marriage; to marry.
transitive
To fasten (something) using a buckle (noun etymology 1, sense 1); hence (obsolete), to fasten (something) in any way.
intransitivefigurative
To apply oneself to or prepare for a task or work.
Word at a Glance
- Difficulty
- B2 · Upper Intermediate (estimated)
- Frequency
- Moderately Common
- Typical Use
- Neutral / general English
Word Aura™
How this word commonly comes across.
Aura for this meaning
This meaning: Fastener that fastens together two ends of a belt or strap; often has loose prong
Used this way, buckle is a reasonably familiar word that usually carries little praise or criticism of its own. It usually sounds natural in a wide range of settings.
- Emotional tone
- Neutral
- Formality
- Neutral
- Intensity
- Not strongly marked
- How common
- Moderately common
- Connotation
- Matter-of-fact
- Usage feel
- Neutral and straightforward
Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.
More ways to use buckle
- “The highway buckled during the heat wave.”verb
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Common Patterns and Combinations
How this word naturally appears with others.
Word Family
Related forms, grouped by how they connect.
Compound terms
Established multiword terms.
Consent reluctantly.
Any of various ferns of the genera Dryopteris or Polystichum or Lastreopsis having somewhat shield-shaped coverings on the sori.
Plant of southeastern Europe having yellow flowers like those of mustard and pods with open valves resembling bucklers.
Work very hard, like a slave.
The buckle used to fasten a belt.
European shield fern.
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Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.