A small, round, or oval shield held by a handle or worn on the arm; also used as a verb meaning to shield or protect.
From Old French 'bocle' or 'boucle' (boss of a shield), ultimately from Latin 'buccula' (cheek piece of a helmet). The term evolved from describing the central boss of a shield to the entire small shield itself.
Bucklers were the 'cool kids' weapon in medieval Europe—lighter and faster than full shields, they were favored by skilled fighters for close combat, and they eventually became symbols of urban militia and mercenary companies!
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