buckle
Preserved but no longer current.
Era: ca. 1874 (Victorian)
Where it’s used:
Origin
British & Irish English
Sources & notes
Historical definition reproduced from Hotten’s The Slang Dictionary (1874, public domain; Project Gutenberg #42108, retrieved 2026-07-31). Reflects the attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “buckle” mean?
To bend; "I can’t BUCKLE to that." I don’t understand it; to yield or give in to a person. Shakspeare uses the word in the latter sense, Henry IV., i. 1; and Halliwell says that "the commentators do not supply another example."
Is “buckle” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.