I. ˈbīnd verb
( bound ˈbau̇nd ; bound ; or archaic bounded ; binding ; binds ˈbīn(d)z)
Etymology: Middle English binden, from Old English bindan; akin to Old High German bintan to bind, Old Norse binda, Gothic bindan, Greek peisma cable, Sanskrit badhnāti he binds
transitive verb
1.
a. : to make secure by tying (as with a cord)
they bound his hands
b. : to confine with or as if with chains or other bonds so as to deprive of liberty : make captive
he was bound and thrown into prison
she was not wholly bound in mind by her middle-class existence — Delmore Schwartz
c. : to hold in check : keep in place : restrain
a sense of fair play binds them and preserves their open-mindedness
d. : to hamper the free movement of : exert an uncomfortably restrictive and chafing force upon
tight-fitting clothes that bind the hiker
e. : to put under an obligation (as by making, accepting, or exacting a solemn promise)
the knight bound himself with an oath to serve faithfully
f. : to constrain with legal authority
the court's decision binds them to pay the fine
2.
a. : to wrap around so as to cover (as with cloth) : swathe
a broad sash bound her waist
b. : to wrap up (an injury) with a cloth : bandage
binding up the gash with clean gauze
3. : to fasten round about : encircle , gird , wreathe
a statue of a poet, laurel bound about the head
4. : to tie together (as stalks of wheat)
binding the reaped grain into sheaves
5.
a. : to cause (particles) to stick together in a usually hard mass
wet sand that had been baked and bound by the sun
b. : to cause to cohere : unite into a cohesive whole
bind the chopped celery and apples with mayonnaise
: give a moist or thickened consistency to
bind poultry dressing with beaten eggs
c. : to take up and hold usually by chemical forces : combine with
cellulose binds water
6. : to make costive : constipate
7. : to make firm or sure : settle
binding our agreement with a friendly handshake
8. : to protect, strengthen, or decorate by a band or binding
a carpet bound with a yellow edging
9.
a. : to apply the parts of the cover to (a book) in successive stages (as in hand binding)
b. : case vt 1d
10. : indenture , apprentice
he was bound out to the tailor for one year
11. : to cause to be attached (as by gratitude or affection)
some gracious instinct binds her to her home — Agnes Repplier
12. : to fasten together : connect , unite
a jeweled pin bound the ends of the scarf
13. : to move (a fencing opponent's blade) from one line to another by exerting pressure against
14. : to effect (an insurance policy) by means of an oral commitment or by a binder
15. logic : to convert (a free variable in a statement or formula) into a bound variable by prefixing a quantifier or other operator — compare quantification
intransitive verb
1.
a. : to form a usually hard lump or mass
heat causes clay to bind
b. : to form a cohesive mass
a little milk added to the ingredients will quickly make the mixture bind
2. : to hamper free movement : exert an uncomfortably restrictive and chafing force
shorts that are guaranteed not to bind
3. : to become hindered from free operation : become blocked or jammed
rust caused the door to bind in its frame
4. : to exert a restraining, compelling, or uniting influence
a promise that binds
5. falconry : to close with or grapple quarry in the air
6. printing : to lock up improperly
oversize cuts caused the form to bind
II. “ but ˈbin(d) in sense 2 noun
( -s )
Etymology: Middle English binde, from binden, verb
1. : something that binds or ties : the act of binding : a place where binding occurs : the state or an instance of being bound
2. : bine
3. Scotland : capacity especially for drink : limit
4.
a. : tie
b. : slur
5. : the action of forcing a fencing opponent's blade from one line to another by means of pressure against his blade
6. : a position that restricts an opponent's freedom of action (as in chess)
White gets a bind on Black's position
•
- in a bind