I. bind 1 /baɪnd/ BrE AmE verb ( past tense and past participle bound /baʊnd/)
[ Language: Old English ; Origin: bindan ]
1 . TIE/FASTEN [transitive] written
a) to tie someone so that they cannot move or escape:
They bound my arms and legs with rope.
bound and gagged (=tied up, and with cloth tied around your mouth so you cannot speak)
b) ( also bind up ) to tie things firmly together with cloth or string:
The pile of newspapers was bound with string.
2 . FORM A CONNECTION [transitive] to form a strong emotional or economic connection between two people, countries etc SYN unite
bind somebody/something together
Their shared experiences in war helped to bind the two communities together.
3 . MAKE SOMEBODY DO SOMETHING [transitive usually passive] if you are bound by an agreement, promise etc, you must do what you have agreed to do or promised to do:
The monks are bound by vows of silence.
bind somebody to do something
Employees are not bound to give their reasons for leaving.
4 . STICK TOGETHER [intransitive and transitive] technical to stick together in a mass, or to make small pieces of something stick together:
The flour mixture isn’t wet enough to bind properly.
bind with
The hydrogen molecule binds with the oxygen molecule.
5 . BOOK [transitive] to fasten the pages of a book together and put them in a cover ⇨ ↑ bound 2 (9)
6 . STITCH [transitive] to sew cloth over the edge of a piece of material, or stitch over it, to strengthen it:
The edges of the blanket were bound with ribbon.
bind somebody over phrasal verb [usually passive] law
a) British English if someone is bound over by a court of law, they are warned that, if they cause more trouble, they will be legally punished:
The demonstrators were bound over to keep the peace.
b) American English if someone is bound over for ↑ trial , they are forced by law to appear in a court
II. bind 2 BrE AmE noun [singular] informal
an annoying or difficult situation:
It’s a real bind having to look after the children.
in a bind
Caroline was really in a bind.