I. ˈbau̇nd adjective
Etymology: alteration of boun, from Middle English, from Old Norse būinn, past participle of būa to live, dwell, make ready — more at bower
1. archaic : prepared , ready , dressed
2. : intending to go : on the way toward : going — used with to or for or with an adverb of motion
a ship bound for Gibraltar
homeward bound
II. noun
( -s )
Etymology: Middle English bounde, bunne, from Old French bodne, bonne, borne, from Medieval Latin bodina
1.
a. : the external or limiting line of an object, space, or area
the bounds of a forest reserve
set bounds on a property
— usually used in plural
b. : something that limits or restrains : limit
beyond the bounds of reason
set a lower bound to a temperature range
specifically : limits beyond which military personnel are forbidden to go
out of bounds
2. usually plural
a. : borderland
b. : the land within certain bounds : domain
woodland bounds — William Wordsworth
3. : a number greater than or equal to every number in a set (as the values of a function over an interval) ; also : a number less than or equal to every number in a set
III. verb
( -ed/-ing/-s )
Etymology: Middle English bounden, from bounde
transitive verb
1. : to set limits or bounds to : establish the bounds of : confine within limits
fields bounded by tall hedges
art … is always greater than the rules with which we may attempt to bound it — C.S.Kilby
2. : to form the limits of or lie along the borders of
the sea bounds it on three sides
: circumscribe , enclose
the stream that bounds this land
3. : to name the boundaries of
the class was asked to bound their country
intransitive verb
archaic : to form a common boundary — often used with with
IV. adjective
Etymology: Middle English bounden, from past participle of binden to bind — more at bind
1.
a. : fastened by or as if by a band : confined
desk- bound
b. : compelled or constrained especially by logical necessity : certain , sure — used postpositively
such a plan is bound to fail
we are bound to have a frost soon
2. : under legal or moral restraint or obligation : obliged — usually used postpositively
bound to pay his wife's debts
bound by sacred vows
honor- bound
duty- bound
specifically : apprenticed
a bound girl
3. : constipated, costive — used postpositively
4. of a book
a. : secured to its covers by cords or tapes
a bound volume
b. : cased in
5.
a. : resolved
bound and determined to have his way
b. : assured — often used as if spoken under oath
you're a … first-rate seaman, I'll be bound — W.S.Gilbert
6. : held in chemical or physical combination : combined
some vitamins occur in bound forms
— opposed to free
7. of a linguistic form : always occurring in combination with another linguistic form (as splend- in splendor and splendid, un- in unknown, -s in hats, -er in speaker )
a bound form
a bound allomorph
— opposed to free
V. transitive verb
South & Midland : bet , wager — used chiefly in assertions and affirmations
I bound you he'll like it
VI. noun
( -s )
Etymology: Middle French bond, from bondir
1. : a leap or spring usually made easily and lightly
cleared the hedge at a bound
: one of a continuous series of such springs
2. : bounce , rebound
3. : one of a series of relatively short movements by a military unit or by elements of it alternately from one preselected point on the ground to the next
Synonyms: see jump
VII. intransitive verb
( -ed/-ing/-s )
Etymology: Middle French bondir to leap, bound, resound, from (assumed) Vulgar Latin bombitire to hum, irregular from Latin bombus deep hollow sound — more at bomb
1. : to move with a spring or leap or with a succession of springs or leaps
2. : rebound
an elastic ball bounds
: bounce
Synonyms: see jump