bound 1
— boundness , n.
/bownd/ , v.
1. pt. and pp. of bind .
adj.
2. tied; in bonds: a bound prisoner.
3. made fast as if by a band or bond: She is bound to her family.
4. secured within a cover, as a book.
5. under a legal or moral obligation: He is bound by the terms of the contract.
6. destined; sure; certain: It is bound to happen.
7. determined or resolved: He is bound to go.
8. Pathol. constipated.
9. Math. (of a vector) having a specified initial point as well as magnitude and direction. Cf. free (def. 31).
10. held with another element, substance, or material in chemical or physical union.
11. (of a linguistic form) occurring only in combination with other forms, as most affixes. Cf. free (def. 34).
12. bound up in or with ,
a. inseparably connected with.
b. devoted or attached to: She is bound up in her teaching.
[ ptp. and past tense of BIND ]
Syn. 5. liable, obligated, obliged, compelled.
bound 2
— boundingly , adv.
/bownd/ , v.i.
1. to move by leaps; leap; jump; spring: The colt bounded through the meadow.
2. to rebound, as a ball; bounce: The ball bounded against the wall.
n.
3. a leap onward or upward; jump.
4. a rebound; bounce.
[ 1545-55; bond a leap, bondir to leap, orig. resound *bombitire for *bombitare to buzz, whiz (L bomb ( us ) (see BOMB) + -it- intensive suffix + -a- thematic vowel + -re inf. suffix) ]
Syn. 1. See skip 1 .
bound 3
— boundable , adj.
/bownd/ , n.
1. Usually, bounds . limit or boundary: the bounds of space and time; within the bounds of his estate; within the bounds of reason.
2. something that limits, confines, or restrains.
3. bounds ,
a. territories on or near a boundary.
b. land within boundary lines.
4. Math. a number greater than or equal to, or less than or equal to, all the numbers in a given set. Cf. greatest lower bound, least upper bound, lower bound, upper bound .
5. out of bounds ,
a. beyond the official boundaries, prescribed limits, or restricted area: The ball bounced out of bounds.
b. forbidden; prohibited: The park is out of bounds to students.
v.t.
6. to limit by or as if by bounds; keep within limits or confines.
7. to form the boundary or limit of.
8. to name or list the boundaries of.
v.i.
9. to abut.
[ 1175-1225; ME bounde bone, bonde, var. of bodne budina, of uncert. orig.; cf. BOURN 2 ]
Syn. 1. border, frontier, confine.
bound 4
/bownd/ , adj.
1. going or intending to go; on the way to; destined (usually fol. by for ): The train is bound for Denver.
2. Archaic. prepared; ready.
[ 1150-1200; ME b ( o ) un ready buinn, ptp. of bua to get ready ]