noun

buckling

BUHK-uhl-ihng

Buckling (noun) means the structural failure of a material or beam that bends, bulges, or kinks under pressure instead of holding straight, often just before it collapses. Example: “Engineers added extra supports to stop the roof from buckling under heavy snow.”

noun

The structural failure of a material or beam that bends, bulges, or kinks under pressure instead of holding straight, often just before it collapses.

"Engineers added extra supports to stop the roof from buckling under heavy snow."

"The bridge inspectors found early signs of buckling in one of the steel beams."

The act of fastening something with a buckle.

"A few seconds of buckling and her seatbelt was secure."

A young male goat, roughly one to two years old.

"The farmer kept a buckling separate from the herd until he was fully grown."

How to use buckling

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishUsually describes something bending or giving way under strain, like metal or a knee buckling.

Common pairings

buckling under pressure buckling knees signs of buckling

Word forms

more buckling comparative, bucklings plural, bucklings plural, bucklings plural, most buckling superlative

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Engineers added extra supports to stop the roof from _____ under heavy snow.

Etymology

Formed from the verb "buckle" plus the "-ing" ending; "buckle" itself comes from Old French "bocle," a shield boss, from Latin "buccula," a small cheek or cheek-strap.

Origin: Latin

Rhymes for buckling

duckling suckling chuckling

See all rhymes for buckling →

Frequently asked questions

What does “buckling” mean?

The word “buckling” means the structural failure of a material or beam that bends, bulges, or kinks under pressure instead of holding straight, often just before it collapses. In plain terms, usually describes something bending or giving way under strain, like metal or a knee buckling.

How do you pronounce “buckling”?

“Buckling” is pronounced BUHK-uhl-ihng (/ˈbʌk.əl.ɪŋ/ in IPA).

How do you use “buckling” in a sentence?

Here is “buckling” used in a sentence: “Engineers added extra supports to stop the roof from buckling under heavy snow.”

What part of speech is “buckling”?

“Buckling” is a noun.

Where does the word “buckling” come from?

The word “buckling” comes from Latin. Formed from the verb "buckle" plus the "-ing" ending; "buckle" itself comes from Old French "bocle," a shield boss, from Latin "buccula," a small cheek or cheek-strap.

How many meanings does “buckling” have?

“Buckling” has 3 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: the structural failure of a material or beam that bends, bulges, or kinks under pressure instead of holding straight, often just before it collapses.