bound
1simple past tense and past participle of bind.
tied; in bonds: a bound prisoner.
made fast as if by a band or bond: She is bound to her family.
secured within a cover, as a book.
under a legal or moral obligation: He is bound by the terms of the contract.
determined or resolved: He is bound to go.
Pathology. constipated.
Mathematics. (of a vector) having a specified initial point as well as magnitude and direction.: Compare free (def. 32).
held with another element, substance, or material in chemical or physical union.
(of a linguistic form) occurring only in combination with other forms, as most affixes.: Compare free (def. 35).
Idioms about bound
bound up in / with,
inseparably connected with.
devoted or attached to: She is bound up in her teaching.
Origin of bound
1Other words for bound
5 | liable, obligated, obliged; compelled |
Other words from bound
- boundness, noun
Words Nearby bound
Other definitions for bound (2 of 6)
a leap onward or upward; jump.
a rebound; bounce.
Origin of bound
2synonym study For bound
Other words from bound
- bound·ing·ly, adverb
Words that may be confused with bound
- bind, bound
Other definitions for bound (3 of 6)
something that limits, confines, or restrains.
bounds,
territories on or near a boundary.
land within boundary lines.
Mathematics. a number greater than or equal to, or less than or equal to, all the numbers in a given set.: Compare greatest lower bound, least upper bound, lower bound, upper bound.
to limit by or as if by bounds; keep within limits or confines.
to form the boundary or limit of.
to name or list the boundary of.
to abut.
Origin of bound
3Other words for bound
Other words from bound
- bound·a·ble, adjective
Other definitions for bound (4 of 6)
going or intending to go; on the way to; destined (usually followed by for): The train is bound for Denver.
Archaic. prepared; ready.
Origin of bound
4Other definitions for -bound (5 of 6)
a combining form of bound1: snowbound.
Other definitions for -bound (6 of 6)
a combining form of bound4: eastbound.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use bound in a sentence
Some are afraid their homes are at risk if a fire escapes its bounds, or that the smoke will harm their health.
What’s more, our awareness of exactly what’s lurking out there has advanced by leaps and bounds—especially when it comes to the largest, most dangerous objects in our neighborhood.
The World’s Space Agencies Are on a Quest to Deflect a (Harmless) Asteroid | Jason Dorrier | September 27, 2020 | Singularity HubThis means all the energy available to support life was historically bounded by the supply provided by photosynthetic organisms.
Dawn of the Heliocene - Issue 90: Something Green | Summer Praetorius | September 16, 2020 | NautilusThough Deep Blue was meticulously programmed top-to-bottom to play chess, the approach was too labor-intensive, too dependent on clear rules and bounded possibilities to succeed at more complex games, let alone in the real world.
DeepMind’s Newest AI Programs Itself to Make All the Right Decisions | Jason Dorrier | July 26, 2020 | Singularity HubThe neighborhood is bounded by University Boulevard, Cheery Creek, Downing Street, and 8th street.
That act forever sealed his feeling for the Chief, bound it up with the war, with violence, with the gun.
The Story Behind Lee Marvin’s Liberty Valance Smile | Robert Ward | January 3, 2015 | THE DAILY BEASTThey were born in 51 countries and speak 59 foreign languages, but they seemed bound by a single purpose and resolve.
bound together by mutual distrust, both sides end up lashing themselves to the mast of rigid law.
From 2012 to 2013, 31 men left Aarhus bound for combat in Syria.
What the U.S. Can Learn from Europe About Dealing with Terrorists | Scott Beauchamp | December 15, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTThat is bound to put a dent in public confidence in the police.
Idris Elba on Eric Garner, ‘Mi Mandela,’ and Selling Weed to Dave Chappelle | Marlow Stern | December 6, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTOn the thirteenth of the same month they bound to the stake, in order to burn alive, a man who had two religious in his house.
A small book, bound in full purple calf, lay half hidden in a nest of fine tissue paper on the dressing-table.
Hilda Lessways | Arnold BennettA good many children seem to be like savages in distinguishing those to whom one is bound to speak the truth.
Children's Ways | James SullyThese officers are bound to maintayne themselves and families with food and rayment by their owne and their servant's industrie.
Tobacco; Its History, Varieties, Culture, Manufacture and Commerce | E. R. Billings.A flock of weary sheep pattered along the road, barnward bound, heavy eyed and bleating softly.
The Soldier of the Valley | Nelson Lloyd
British Dictionary definitions for bound (1 of 4)
/ (baʊnd) /
the past tense and past participle of bind
in bonds or chains; tied with or as if with a rope: a bound prisoner
(in combination) restricted; confined: housebound; fogbound
(postpositive , foll by an infinitive) destined; sure; certain: it's bound to happen
(postpositive, often foll by by) compelled or obliged to act, behave, or think in a particular way, as by duty, circumstance, or convention
(of a book) secured within a cover or binding: to deliver bound books See also half-bound
(postpositive, foll by on) US resolved; determined: bound on winning
linguistics
denoting a morpheme, such as the prefix non-, that occurs only as part of another word and not as a separate word in itself: Compare free (def. 21)
(in systemic grammar) denoting a clause that has a nonfinite predicator or that is introduced by a binder, and that occurs only together with a freestanding clause: Compare freestanding
logic (of a variable) occurring within the scope of a quantifier that indicates the degree of generality of the open sentence in which the variable occurs: in (x) (Fx → bxy), x is bound and y is free: See free (def. 22)
bound up with closely or inextricably linked with: his irritability is bound up with his work
I'll be bound I am sure (something) is true
British Dictionary definitions for bound (2 of 4)
/ (baʊnd) /
to move forwards or make (one's way) by leaps or jumps
to bounce; spring away from an impact
a jump upwards or forwards
by leaps and bounds with unexpectedly rapid progess: her condition improved by leaps and bounds
a sudden pronounced sense of excitement: his heart gave a sudden bound when he saw her
a bounce, as of a ball
Origin of bound
2British Dictionary definitions for bound (3 of 4)
/ (baʊnd) /
(tr) to place restrictions on; limit
(when intr, foll by on) to form a boundary of (an area of land or sea, political or administrative region, etc)
maths
a number which is greater than all the members of a set of numbers (an upper bound), or less than all its members (a lower bound): See also bounded (def. 1)
more generally, an element of an ordered set that has the same ordering relation to all the members of a given subset
whence, an estimate of the extent of some set
See bounds
Origin of bound
3British Dictionary definitions for bound (4 of 4)
/ (baʊnd) /
(postpositive, often foll by for) going or intending to go towards; on the way to: a ship bound for Jamaica; homeward bound
(in combination): northbound traffic
Origin of bound
4Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Other Idioms and Phrases with bound
In addition to the idioms beginning with bound
- bound and determined to
- bound for
- bound hand and foot
- bound to, be
- bound up in
also see:
- by leaps and bounds
- duty bound
- honor bound
- out of bounds
- within bounds
Also see underbind.
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
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