/ baɪnd; NAmE / verb , noun
■ verb
( bound , bound / baʊnd; NAmE /)
TIE WITH ROPE / CLOTH
1.
[ vn ] bind sb/sth (to sth) | bind sb/sth (together) to tie sb/sth with rope, string, etc. so that they cannot move or are held together firmly :
She was bound to a chair.
They bound his hands together.
He was left bound and gagged (= tied up and with a piece of cloth tied over his mouth) .
2.
[ vn ] bind sth (up) to tie a long thin piece of cloth around sth :
She bound up his wounds.
UNITE
3.
[ vn ] bind A and B (together) | bind A to B to unite people, organizations, etc. so that they live or work together more happily or effectively :
Organizations such as schools and clubs bind a community together.
She thought that having his child would bind him to her forever.
MAKE SB DO STH
4.
[ usually passive ] bind sb (to sth) to force sb to do sth by making them promise to do it or by making it their duty to do it :
[ vn ]
He had been bound to secrecy (= made to promise not to tell people about sth) .
[ vn to inf ]
The agreement binds her to repay the debt within six months.
—see also binding , bound
STICK TOGETHER
5.
bind (sth) (together) to stick together or to make things stick together in a solid mass :
[ v ]
Add an egg yolk to make the mixture bind.
[ vn ]
Add an egg yolk to bind the mixture together.
BOOK
6.
[ vn ] [ usually passive ] to fasten the pages of a book together and put them inside a cover :
two volumes bound in leather
SEW EDGE
7.
[ vn ] [ often passive ] bind sth (with sth) to sew the edge of sth to decorate it or to make it stronger :
The blankets were bound with satin.
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IDIOMS
see hand noun
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PHRASAL VERBS
- bind sb over
■ noun
[ sing. ] ( BrE , informal ) an annoying situation that is often difficult to avoid
—see also double bind
•
IDIOMS
- in a bind
••
WORD ORIGIN
Old English bindan , of Germanic origin; related to Dutch and German binden , from an Indo-European root shared by Sanskrit bandh .