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bound

/ˈbaʊnd/

verb

Meaning

  • To tie; to confine by any ligature.

  • To cohere or stick together in a mass.

    "Just to make the cheese more binding"

  • To be restrained from motion, or from customary or natural action, as by friction.

    "I wish I knew why the sewing machine binds up after I use it for a while."

  • To exert a binding or restraining influence.

    "These are the ties that bind."

  • To tie or fasten tightly together, with a cord, band, ligature, chain, etc.

    "to bind grain in bundles  to bind a prisoner"

  • To confine, restrain, or hold by physical force or influence of any kind.

    "Frost binds the earth."

  • To couple.

  • To oblige, restrain, or hold, by authority, law, duty, promise, vow, affection, or other social tie.

    "to bind the conscience  to bind by kindness  bound by affection  commerce binds nations to each other"

  • To put (a person) under definite legal obligations, especially, under the obligation of a bond or covenant.

  • To place under legal obligation to serve.

    "to bind an apprentice  bound out to service"

  • To protect or strengthen by applying a band or binding, as the edge of a carpet or garment.

  • To make fast (a thing) about or upon something, as by tying; to encircle with something.

    "to bind a belt about one  to bind a compress upon a wound"

  • To cover, as with a bandage.

    "to bind up a wound"

  • To prevent or restrain from customary or natural action, as by producing constipation.

    "Certain drugs bind the bowels."

  • To put together in a cover, as of books.

    "The three novels were bound together."

  • To make two or more elements stick together.

  • To associate an identifier with a value; to associate a variable name, method name, etc. with the content of a storage location.

  • To complain; to whine about something.

Synonyms

bandage,
dress,
fasten,
fetter,
make fast,
restrain,
tie,
indenture,
obligate,
restrain,
restrict

adjective

Meaning

  • (with infinitive) Obliged (to).

    "You are not legally bound to reply."

  • (of a morpheme) That cannot stand alone as a free word.

  • (of a variable) Constrained by a quantifier.

  • Constipated; costive.

  • Confined or restricted to a certain place; e.g. railbound.

  • Unable to move in certain conditions; e.g. snowbound.