bond

¹

[ bond ]

noun

1. something that binds, fastens, confines, or holds together.

   Synonyms: fetters, chains

2. a cord, rope, band, or ligament.
3. something that binds a person or persons to a certain circumstance or line of behavior:

   the bond of matrimony.

4. something, as an agreement or friendship, that unites individuals or peoples into a group; covenant:

   the bond between nations.

5. binding security; firm assurance:

   My word is my bond.

6. a sealed instrument under which a person, corporation, or government guarantees to pay a stated sum of money on or before a specified day.
7. any written obligation under seal.
8. Law. a written promise of a surety.
9. Government. the state of dutiable goods stored without payment of duties or taxes until withdrawn:

   goods in bond.

10. Also called bond·ed whis·key [bon, -did , wis, -kee, hwis, -]. a whiskey that has been aged at least four years in a bonded warehouse before bottling.
11. Finance. a certificate of ownership of a specified portion of a debt due to be paid by a government or corporation to an individual holder and usually bearing a fixed rate of interest.
12. Insurance.
    1. a surety agreement.
    2. the money deposited, or the promissory arrangement entered into, under any such agreement.
13. a substance that causes particles to adhere; binder.
14. adhesion between two substances or objects, as concrete and reinforcing strands.
15. Also called chem·i·cal bond [kem, -i-k, uh, l , bond]. Chemistry. the attraction between atoms in a molecule or crystalline structure. Compare coordinate bond, covalent bond, hydrogen bond, ionic bond, metallic bond.
16. bond paper.
17. Masonry.
    1. any of various arrangements of bricks, stones, etc., having a regular pattern and intended to increase the strength or enhance the appearance of a construction.
    2. the overlap of bricks, stones, etc., in a construction so as to increase its strength.
18. Electricity. an electric conductor placed between adjacent metal parts within a structure, as in a railroad track, aircraft, or house, to prevent the accumulation of static electricity.
19. Obsolete. bondsman ¹.

verb (used with object)

1. to put (goods, an employee, official, etc.) on or under bond:

   The company refused to bond a former criminal.

2. to connect or bind.
3. Finance. to place a bonded debt on or secure a debt by bonds; mortgage.
4. to join (two materials).
5. Masonry. to lay (bricks, stones, etc.) so as to produce a strong construction.
6. Electricity. to provide with a bond:

   to bond a railroad track.

7. to establish a close emotional relationship to or with (another):

   the special period when a mother bonds to her infant.

verb (used without object)

1. to hold together or cohere, from or as from being bonded, as bricks in a wall or particles in a mass.
2. Psychology, Animal Behavior. to establish a bonding.

bond

²

[ bond ]

noun

1. a serf or slave.

adjective

1. in serfdom or slavery.

Bond

³

[ bond ]

noun

1. Car·rie (Min·et·ta) [kar, -ee mi-, net, -, uh] Carrie Jacobs-Bond, 1862–1946, U.S. songwriter and author.
2. Ju·li·an, 1940–2015, U.S. civil rights leader and politician.

Bond

¹

/ bɒnd /

noun

1. BondEdward1934MBritishTHEATRE: dramatist Edward . born 1934, British dramatist: his plays, including Saved (1965), Lear (1971), Restoration (1981), and In the Company of Men (1990), are noted for their violent imagery and socialist commitment

bond

²

/ bɒnd /

noun

1. something that binds, fastens, or holds together, such as a chain or rope
2. often plural something that brings or holds people together; tie

   a bond of friendship

3. plural something that restrains or imprisons; captivity or imprisonment
4. something that governs behaviour; obligation; duty
5. a written or spoken agreement, esp a promise

   marriage bond

6. adhesive quality or strength
7. finance a certificate of debt issued in order to raise funds. It carries a fixed rate of interest and is repayable with or without security at a specified future date
8. law a written acknowledgment of an obligation to pay a sum or to perform a contract
9. insurance a policy guaranteeing payment of a stated sum to an employer in compensation for financial losses incurred through illegal or unauthorized acts of an employee
10. any of various arrangements of bricks or stones in a wall in which they overlap so as to provide strength
11. See chemical bond
12. See bond paper
13. in bond
    commerce deposited in a bonded warehouse

verb

1. also intr to hold or be held together, as by a rope or an adhesive; bind; connect
2. aeronautics to join (metallic parts of an aircraft) together such that they are electrically interconnected
3. to put or hold (goods) in bond
4. law to place under bond
5. finance to issue bonds on; mortgage
6. to arrange (bricks, etc) in a bond

bond

/ bŏnd /

1. A force of attraction that holds atoms or ions together in a molecule or crystal. Bonds are usually created by a transfer or sharing of one or more electrons. There are single, double, and triple bonds.
2. See also coordinate bond

bond

1. A security issued by a corporation or public body and usually carrying a fixed rate of interest and a set date, called the bond's maturity, for redemption of the principal . Like a stock , a bond is a type of investment , but unlike a stock, a bond has a definite, but not necessarily fixed, yield . Some bonds have a feature known as a call, which gives the borrower an option to pay off the principal of the bond before its maturity, the date when the bond is due to be redeemed. ( See municipal bonds and Treasury bills .)

Other Words From

• bond·a·ble adjective
• bond·er noun
• bond·less adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of bond¹

First recorded in 1175–1225; Middle English noun bond, band, bound; variant of band ³

Origin of bond²

First recorded before 1050; Middle English bonde, bande, bounde “tenant farmer, villager,” Old English bonda “husband, head of a household,” from Old Norse bōndi “farmer, peasant,” contraction of unattested bōande, variant of būande, cognate with Old English būend “dweller,” equivalent to bū(an) “to dwell” + -end noun suffix, as in fiend, friend; boor, husbandman

Word History and Origins

Origin of bond¹

C13: from Old Norse band ; see band ²

Synonym Study

Bond, link, tie agree in referring to a force or influence that unites people. Bond, however, usually emphasizes the strong and enduring quality of affection, whereas tie may refer more especially to duty, obligation, or responsibility: bonds of memory; Blessed be the tie that binds; family ties. A link is a definite connection, though a slighter one; it may indicate affection or merely some traceable influence or desultory communication: a close link between friends.

Example Sentences

But the tough carbon-fluorine bonds in the compounds resist being torn apart, leading to expensive remediation schemes that rely on powerful chemicals and high temperatures and pressures.

From Science Magazine

It's a word used to describe people who only develop a sexual attraction to others after forming a deep bond based on their personality, rather than feeling an instant connection.

From BBC

In the hMPV F protein, Zhu didn't find the same patch of repellant molecules -- instead, he used a strong chemical bond as a "brute force" solution to hold the protein together.

From Science Daily

Then the City Council and mayor can prioritize projects and commit spending — or seek more money through bonds or tax measures — to deliver on what Angelenos should expect from a world-class city.

From Los Angeles Times

So strong was their bond that Cher wanted to reunite with her first husband while carrying the baby of her second husband.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• bind
• connect
• fix
• glue

More About Bond

What is a basic definition of bond?

A bond is something that binds or fastens things together, something that unites people, or an attraction between atoms in a molecule. Bond has many other senses as a noun and a verb.

Bond can refer to anything that holds or links things together. For example, glue is commonly used as a bond to make things stick to each other. Bond is often used in the plural when referring to things like shackles or handcuffs that bind multiple parts of the body. In this sense, bond is often used figuratively to refer to things that bind or restrict a person’s liberty or freedom.

• Real-life examples: Glue, rope, zip ties, cables, pins, and staples are examples of things used as bonds. Prisoners are often kept in bonds, like chains, handcuffs, and shackles, to prevent them from escaping. Throughout history, people have rebelled against the bonds of tyranny, that is, oppression of a government they think is unfair or unjust.
• Used in a sentence: We freed the prisoners from their metal bonds. 

This sense of bond is also used as a verb to mean to bind things together.

• Used in a sentence: The welder bonded the steel sheets to each other. 

In a similar sense, bond is used in chemistry to refer to an attraction between atoms that hold them together to form molecules. These are also known as chemical bonds and they are a very important concept to molecular chemistry.

• Real-life examples: Chemical bonds are further divided into specific kinds of bonds that hold molecules together. Different types of bonds include covalent bonds, ionic bonds, hydrogen bonds, coordinate bonds, and metallic bonds.
• Used in a sentence: Professor Smith used a model to show us the bonds between atoms in a molecule of ammonia. 

Bond is also used in a figurative sense to refer to agreements or relationships that unite people. In this sense, bond often specifically refers to an especially close or trusting relationship.

• Real-life examples: You are connected to your family and friends by a close bond. You may also form close bonds with your pet. Countries that are allies have a close bond and usually promise to help or protect each other.
• Used in a sentence: John and Paul have a strong bond of friendship and they think of each other as brothers. 

Closely related to this sense, bond is used as a verb to mean to form a strong emotional relationship with someone.

• Used in a sentence: I bonded with my father during the many fishing trips we went on together. 

Where does bond come from?

The first records of bond come from around 1175. It comes from Middle English as a variation of band, meaning “something that binds or fastens things together” or “something that unites people.”

Did you know ... ?

What are some other forms related to bond?

• bondable (adjective)
• bondability (noun)
• bonder (noun)
• bondless (adjective)
• unbondable (adjective)

What are some synonyms for bond?

• binder
• fastener
• tie
• shackle
• relationship
• association
• chemical bond

What are some words that share a root or word element with bond? 

• bonded
• junk bond

What are some words that often get used in discussing bond?

• prisoner
• oppression
• tyranny
• friendship
• family
• love
• blood

How is bond used in real life?

Bond is a common word that most often refers to a close relationship or an attraction between atoms in chemistry.

we have such a strong bond as a family and I couldn't ask for a better group of people to have support me!!

— Matthew Espinosa (@MatthewEspinosa) May 30, 2016

A bond between a person and their favorite band is strong enough to pull us from the darkest of pits in which we're all capable of falling.

— Jonathan Cook (@iamjonathancook) August 1, 2013

The toes of geckos have pads w/ microscopic filaments that are so tiny they are able to form weak bonds w/ the molecules of smooth surfaces.

— American Museum of Natural History (@AMNH) March 16, 2010

Try using bond!

Is bond used correctly in the following sentence?

I have a strong bond with my sister and we would do anything to help each other.