bound Definition

bind
verb bound, binding

1. To tie or fasten tightly.

Thesaurus: secure, fasten, tie, shackle, fetter, cinch, clamp, manacle, handcuff, hitch, tether, yoke, truss.
2. To tie or pass strips of cloth or bandage, etc around it.

Thesaurus: dress, wrap, bandage, treat.
Form: bind something up (often)
3. To control or prevent someone or something from moving; to restrain them or it. See also bound¹.
4. To make someone promise to do something.
5. To require or oblige someone to do something.

Example: He is legally bound to reply
Thesaurus: obligate, oblige, require, necessitate, compel, force, indenture.
6. To fasten together and put a cover on (the separate pages of a book).
7. To put a strip of cloth on the edge of something to strengthen it.
8. To cause (dry ingredients) to stick together.
intr
9. To stick together; to become bound.
intr
10. slang
To complain about it.
Form: bind on about something (especially)

noun

colloq:
1. A difficult, tedious or annoying situation.

Thesaurus: predicament, dilemma, jam (slang), quandary, difficulty, impasse, hole.
2. A restriction; something that limits or hampers one.

Etymology: Anglo-Saxon bindan.

Phrasal Verb: bind someone over

To make them legally obliged to do a particular thing, especially to ‘keep the peace' and not cause a disturbance. See also bound¹.

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bound¹
adj

1. Tied with or as if with a rope or other binding.

Thesaurus: tied up, chained, fettered, shackled, manacled, handcuffed, pinioned, tethered, secured, roped, hogtied, trussed up.
2. Restricted to or by the specified thing.

Example: housebound
Example: snowbound
3. Obliged.

Thesaurus: obligated, obliged, impelled, beholden, committed, compelled, constrained, liable, duty-bound, required; Antonym: free, independent.
4. Said of a book: fastened with a permanent cover.

verb, past participle of

1. bind

Idiom: bound to do something

Certain or obliged to do it.
Example: It is bound to happen
Example: We are bound to comply
Example: I feel bound to help

Idiom: bound up with something

Closely linked with it. See also bind.

Etymology: 14c, meaning ‘confined by bonds', ‘in prison'.

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bound²
adj

1a. On the way to or going towards it;

Form: bound for somewhere (usually)
Form: bound for something


Example: homeward bound
2. Going in a specified direction.

Example: southbound
Example: homebound flight

Etymology: 13c, meaning ‘read' or ‘prepared': from Norse buinn, past participle of bua to get ready.

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bound³
noun

1. A limit or boundary, eg of that which is reasonable or permitted.

Example: His arrogance knows no bounds
Form: bounds (usually)
2. A limitation or restriction.

Form: bounds (usually)
3. Land generally within certain understood limits; the district.

Form: bounds

verb bounded, bounding

1. To form a boundary to or of something; to surround.

Example: The river bounds the estate to the east
2. To set limits or bounds to something; to restrict.

Thesaurus: limit, restrict, confine, circumscribe, define.

Idiom: out of bounds

Usually said of a place: not to be visited or entered, etc; outside the permitted area or limits.

Etymology: 13c as bunne or bodne, specifically for a landmark showing the limit of an estate, etc: ultimately from Latin bodina.

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bound⁴
noun

1. A jump or leap upwards.
2. A bounce (eg of a ball) back from a solid surface.

verb, intr bounded, bounding

1. To spring or leap in the specified direction; to move energetically.

Thesaurus: leap, jump, vault, spring, caper, frisk, gambol, prance.
Form: bound across (often)
Form: bound in
Form: bound out
Form: bound over
Form: bound up
2. To move or run with leaps.

Example: The dog bounded across the field
3. Said of a ball: to bounce back from a solid surface.

Etymology: 16c: from French bondir to spring.