From Middle English bound, bund (preterite) and bounden, bunden, ibunden, ȝebunden (past participle), from Old English bund- and bunden, ġebunden respectively. See bind.
Meanings
(not-comparable, with-infinitive) Obliged (to).
You are not legally bound to reply.
Well, it isn't for me to say. I'm an employee of the firm and bound to stand by it. 1927, Ernest Bramah [pseudonym; Ernest Brammah Smith], Max Carrados Mysteries:
Then I had a good think on the subject of the hocussing of Cigarette, and I was reluctantly bound to admit that once again the man in the corner had found the only possible solution to the mystery. 1904–1905, Baroness Orczy [i.e., Emma Orczy], “The Hocussing of Cigarette”, in The Case of Miss Elliott, London: T[homas] Fisher Unwin, published 1905, →OCLC; republished as popular edition, London: Greening & Co., 1909, OCLC 11192831, quoted in The Case of Miss Elliott (ebook no. 2000141h.html), Australia: Project Gutenberg of Australia, February 2020:
(not-comparable, of a morpheme) That cannot stand alone as a free word.
(not-comparable, of a variable) Constrained by a quantifier.
(dated, not-comparable) Constipated; costive.
(in-compounds, not-comparable) Confined or restricted to a certain place.
railbound
(in-compounds, not-comparable) Unable to move in certain conditions.
fi sidottu (constrained by something, or constrained to something) · oc tengut (obliged to) · hi बाध्य (constrained by something, or constrained to something) · hi बाध्य (obliged to) · es ligado (constrained by something, or constrained to something) · de gebunden (obliged to) · es vinculado (constrained by something, or constrained to something) · it costretto (constrained by something, or constrained to something) · ru обяза́нный (obliged to) · sa सित (constrained by something, or constrained to something) · es restringido (constrained by something, or constrained to something) · ro obligat (obliged to) · ru до́лжный (obliged to) · es limitado (constrained by something, or constrained to something) · hu kötött (constrained by something, or constrained to something) · fr obligé (obliged to) · nl gehouden (obliged to) · bg свързан (constrained by something, or constrained to something) · it tenuto (obliged to) · hu kényszerített (constrained by something, or constrained to something) · it portato (obliged to) · hi सीमित (constrained by something, or constrained to something) · oc constrench (obliged to) · hu köteles (obliged to) · da begrænset (constrained by something, or constrained to something) · it obbligato (obliged to) · el δεσμευμένος (constrained by something, or constrained to something) · el φραγμένος (constrained by something, or constrained to something) · it costretto (obliged to) · de verpflichtet (obliged to) · oc obligat (obliged to) · it vincolato (constrained by something, or constrained to something) · ru свя́занный (constrained by something, or constrained to something) · ru обяза́нный (constrained by something, or constrained to something) · it confinato (obliged to) · hu korlátozott (constrained by something, or constrained to something) · fr tenu (obliged to) · bg обвързан (constrained by something, or constrained to something) · nb begrenset (constrained by something, or constrained to something) · it limitato (constrained by something, or constrained to something) · hu kényszerült (constrained by something, or constrained to something) · it obbligato (constrained by something, or constrained to something) · bg задължен (obliged to) · fi velvollinen (obliged to) · es constreñido (constrained by something, or constrained to something) · nb forpliktet (obliged to) · pt obrigado (obliged to)
bound en · VERB · etymology 1
Pronunciation
/ˈbæʊ̯nd/ Southern US, Midland US, Mid-Atlantic US, New York City, Australia, New Zealand
From Middle English bound, bund (preterite) and bounden, bunden, ibunden, ȝebunden (past participle), from Old English bund- and bunden, ġebunden respectively. See bind.
Meanings
(form-of, participle, past) simple past and past participle of bind
The maidens have bound silver snoods about their hair, with gold spangles, and pendent flames (Flammen), that is, sparkling hair-drops : but of their mother's headgear who shall speak? 1831, Thomas Carlyle, “Miscellaneous-Historical”, in Sartor Resartus: The Life and Opinions of Herr Teufelsdröckh. […], London: Chapman and Hall, […], →OCLC, 1st book, page 32:
“[…] Captain Markam had been found lying half-insensible, gagged and bound, on the floor of the sitting-room, his hands and feet tightly pinioned, and a woollen comforter wound closely round his mouth and neck ; whilst Mrs. Markham's jewel-case, containing valuable jewellery and the secret plans of Port Arthur, had disappeared.[…]” 1904–1905, Baroness Orczy [i.e., Emma Orczy], “The Fate of the Artemis”, in The Case of Miss Elliott, London: T[homas] Fisher Unwin, published 1905, →OCLC; republished as popular edition, London: Greening & Co., 1909, OCLC 11192831, quoted in The Case of Miss Elliott (ebook no. 2000141h.html), Australia: Project Gutenberg of Australia, February 2020:
I bound the splint to my leg.
Forms
Spelling
Features
Labels
Source
bownd
alternative, archaic
lexicographic
bound en · ADJ · etymology 2
Pronunciation
/ˈbæʊ̯nd/ Southern US, Midland US, Mid-Atlantic US, New York City, Australia, New Zealand
Etymology tree
Proto-Indo-European *bʰuH-
Proto-Germanic *būaną
Old Norse búinnbor.
Middle English bownde
English bound
From Middle English bownde, alternation (with -d partly for euphonic effect and partly by association with Etymology 1 above) of Middle English boun, from Old Norse búinn, past participle of búa (“to prepare”).
Meanings
(obsolete) Ready, prepared.
This certain,—that a band of war / Has for two days been ready boune, / At prompt command to march from Doune […]. 1810, The Lady of the Lake, Walter Scott, 4.III:
Ready to start or go (to); moving in the direction (of).
When she is depressed she hops in a taxi cab bound nowhere special and falls apart against the Naugahyde. 1986 February 15, Walta Borawski, “Objects of Affection: Gay Men & Straight Women”, in Gay Community News, volume 14, number 39, page B6:
So long, honey babe / Where I'm bound, I can't tell / Goodbye's too good a word, babe / So I'll just say "fare thee well" 1962, Bob Dylan, “Don't Think Twice, It's All Right”:
Which way are you bound? —I'm already homeward bound.
Ar. […]and for the reſt o'th' Fleet / (Which I diſpers'd) they all haue met againe, / And are vpon the Mediterranean Flote / Bound ſadly home for Naples, / Suppoſing that they ſaw the Kings ſhip wrackt, / And his great perſon periſh. 1610–1611 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tempest”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene ii], page 4:
Is that message bound for me?
(with-infinitive) Very likely (to), certain to
Don’t go around tonight— / Well, it’s bound to take your life: / There’s a bad moon on the rise. 1969, Creedence Clearwater Revival, “Bad Moon Rising”:
They were bound to come into conflict eventually.
When you're well enough off so's you don't have to fret about anything but your heft or your diseases you begin to get queer, I suppose. And the queerer the cure for those ailings the bigger the attraction. A place like the Right Livers' Rest was bound to draw freaks, same as molasses draws flies. 1913, Joseph C[rosby] Lincoln, chapter V, in Mr. Pratt’s Patients, New York, N.Y.; London: D[aniel] Appleton and Company, →OCLC:
Forms
Spelling
Features
Labels
Source
bownd
alternative, archaic
lexicographic
more bound
Degree=Cmp
lexicographic
most bound
Degree=Sup
lexicographic
Deriveds
-bound (terms derived from the adjective bound ("moving in the direction of")) · bound for (terms derived from the adjective bound ("moving in the direction of")) · homeward bound (terms derived from the adjective bound ("moving in the direction of"))
bg решен (very likely to) · bg готов да (very likely to) · ja …に向かって (ready to start or go (to); moving in the direction (of)) · hu haladó (ready to start or go (to); moving in the direction (of)) · ru непреме́нный (very likely to) · hu bizonyos (very likely to) · ru направля́ющийся (ready to start or go (to); moving in the direction (of)) · nl (voor) bestemd (ready to start or go (to); moving in the direction (of)) · hu tartó (ready to start or go (to); moving in the direction (of)) · ja …行きの (ready to start or go (to); moving in the direction (of)) · hu elkerülhetetlen (very likely to) · hi अवश्यंभावी (very likely to) · fi see varmasti (very likely to) · bg готов (ready, prepared) · hu szükségszerű (very likely to) · nl bereid (ready, prepared) · ga ag triall ar (ready to start or go (to); moving in the direction (of)) · hu induló (ready to start or go (to); moving in the direction (of)) · nl geacht (very likely to) · ar مُتَّجِه (ready to start or go (to); moving in the direction (of)) · it diretto (ready, prepared) · de bereit (ready, prepared) · ko —행 (ready to start or go (to); moving in the direction (of)) · it destinato (ready, prepared) · it indirizzato (ready, prepared) · bg на път за (ready to start or go (to); moving in the direction (of)) · it incamminato (ready to start or go (to); moving in the direction (of)) · ru гото́вый (ready, prepared) · it diretto (ready to start or go (to); moving in the direction (of)) · hu muszáj (very likely to) · hu menő (ready to start or go (to); moving in the direction (of))
bound en · NOUN · etymology 3
Pronunciation
/ˈbæʊ̯nd/ Southern US, Midland US, Mid-Atlantic US, New York City, Australia, New Zealand
From Middle English bounde, from Old French bunne, from Medieval Latin bodina, earlier butina (“a bound, limit”).
Meanings
(often, used in plural) A boundary, the border which one must cross in order to enter or leave a territory.
I reached the northern bound of my property, took a deep breath and walked on.
Wyth cry unreverent,
Before the sacrament,
Wythin the holy church bowndis,
That of our fayth the grownd is. c. 1503–1512, John Skelton, Ware the Hauke; republished in John Scattergood, editor, John Skelton: The Complete English Poems, 1983, →OCLC, page 62, lines 11–14:
Somewhere within these bounds you may find a buried treasure.
It was sung from the top of the oldest house in the burgh every June at the Common riding, which served both for a perambulation of the bounds of the common pastures or Haughs and to commemorate the young men of Harwick[.] 1977, K.M. Elizabeth Murray, Caught in the Web of Words, Oxford: Oxford University Press, page 27:
A value which is known to be greater or smaller than a given set of values.
Forms
Spelling
Features
Labels
Source
bownd
alternative, archaic
lexicographic
bounds
Number=Plur
lexicographic
Deriveds
least upper bound (terms derived from the noun bound ("boundary, limit")) · upper bound (terms derived from the noun bound ("boundary, limit")) · boundary (terms derived from the noun bound ("boundary, limit")) · Cramér-Rao bound (terms derived from the noun bound ("boundary, limit")) · metes and bounds (terms derived from the noun bound ("boundary, limit")) · disbound (terms derived from the noun bound ("boundary, limit")) · within bounds (terms derived from the noun bound ("boundary, limit")) · boundless (terms derived from the noun bound ("boundary, limit")) · lower bound (terms derived from the noun bound ("boundary, limit")) · Tsirelson bound (terms derived from the noun bound ("boundary, limit")) · zero lower bound (terms derived from the noun bound ("boundary, limit")) · Chapman-Robbins bound (terms derived from the noun bound ("boundary, limit")) · harmonic bounding (terms derived from the noun bound ("boundary, limit")) · Bekenstein bound (terms derived from the noun bound ("boundary, limit")) · out of bounds (terms derived from the noun bound ("boundary, limit")) · boundsgoer (terms derived from the noun bound ("boundary, limit")) · overbound (terms derived from the noun bound ("boundary, limit")) · Bound Brook (terms derived from the noun bound ("boundary, limit")) · Hammersley-Chapman-Robbins bound (terms derived from the noun bound ("boundary, limit"))
Translations (43)
de Abgrenzung (boundary, border of territory) · pl granica (boundary, border of territory) · eo limo (boundary, border of territory) · sv gräns (mathematics: value greater (or smaller) than a given set) · bg граница (boundary, border of territory) · ru грань (mathematics: value greater (or smaller) than a given set) · nl grens (boundary, border of territory) · cmn 界 (mathematics: value greater (or smaller) than a given set) · nl limiet (mathematics: value greater (or smaller) than a given set) · hy սահման (boundary, border of territory) · pt limite (boundary, border of territory) · sv gräns (boundary, border of territory) · pt cota (mathematics: value greater (or smaller) than a given set) · es límite (mathematics: value greater (or smaller) than a given set) · de Schranke (mathematics: value greater (or smaller) than a given set) · de Grenze (boundary, border of territory) · es linde (boundary, border of territory) · ca fita (mathematics: value greater (or smaller) than a given set) · es limes (boundary, border of territory) · ru преде́л (boundary, border of territory) · es lindera (boundary, border of territory) · ru рубе́ж (boundary, border of territory) · fr borne (mathematics: value greater (or smaller) than a given set) · hi सीमा (boundary, border of territory) · nl limiet (boundary, border of territory) · ru грани́ца (boundary, border of territory) · ja 界 (mathematics: value greater (or smaller) than a given set) · pt divisa (boundary, border of territory) · ca límit (boundary, border of territory) · hu határ (boundary, border of territory) · es cota (mathematics: value greater (or smaller) than a given set) · bg предел (boundary, border of territory) · ru грани́ца (mathematics: value greater (or smaller) than a given set) · it frontiera (boundary, border of territory) · it limite (mathematics: value greater (or smaller) than a given set) · fi raja (boundary, border of territory) · fi raja (mathematics: value greater (or smaller) than a given set) · fr frontière (boundary, border of territory) · it confine (boundary, border of territory) · fr borne (boundary, border of territory) · eo baro (mathematics: value greater (or smaller) than a given set) · pt limite (mathematics: value greater (or smaller) than a given set) · es lindero (boundary, border of territory)
bound en · VERB · etymology 4
Pronunciation
/ˈbæʊ̯nd/ Southern US, Midland US, Mid-Atlantic US, New York City, Australia, New Zealand
From Middle English bounden, from the noun (see above).
Meanings
(transitive) To surround a territory or other geographical entity; to form the boundary of.
Kansas is bounded by Nebraska on the north, Missouri on the east, Oklahoma on the south and Colorado on the west.
France, Portugal, Gibraltar and Andorra bound Spain.
I should like to know whether anyone belonging to the houses that bound the line there came of age or got married on the twenty-sixth of November. 1914, Ernest Bramah, Max Carrados:
grounds bounded on three sides by a river.
Mexico is bounded on the north by the United States of America, whose frontier is marked as follows: from the mouth of the Rio Bravo, or Rio Grande del Norte, following the course of the river to the parallel of 31° 47'; […] 1884, Alfred Ronald Conkling, Appleton's Guide to Mexico, page 25:
The Scottish Region is issuing a Day Rail-Rover Ticket, available at 12 hours' notice, permitting unlimited travel in an area bounded by Edinburgh, St. Andrews, Dundee, Perth, Comrie, Callander, Stirling and Falkirk for 25s. (children, 12s. 6d.). . . . 1960 September, “Talking of Trains: News in Brief”, in Trains Illustrated, page 523:
(transitive) To be the bound of.
Forms
Spelling
Features
Labels
Source
bownd
alternative, archaic
lexicographic
bounded
Tense=Past, VerbForm=Part
lexicographic
bounded
Tense=Past
lexicographic
bounding
Tense=Pres, VerbForm=Part
lexicographic
bounds
Number=Sing, Person=3, Tense=Pres
lexicographic
Deriveds
boundable (terms derived from bound (verb: limit)) · metes and bounds (terms derived from bound (verb: limit)) · unbound (terms derived from bound (verb: limit)) · unbounded (terms derived from bound (verb: limit)) · underbound (terms derived from bound (verb: limit))
Translations (20)
la terminō (to surround a territory) · de umgrenzen (to surround a territory) · bg ограничавам (to surround a territory) · it delimitare (to surround a territory) · pt limitar (to surround a territory) · it accerchiare (to surround a territory) · ka ესაზღვრება (to surround a territory) · hu határol (to surround a territory) · it confinare (to surround a territory) · de begrenzen (to surround a territory) · es limitar (to surround a territory) · nl begrenzen (to surround a territory) · fi reunustaa (to surround a territory) · sv gränsa till (to surround a territory) · fr délimiter (to surround a territory) · fr entourer (to surround a territory) · et tõkestama (to surround a territory) · nl omringen (to surround a territory) · ru ограни́чивать (to surround a territory) · cs obklopovat (to surround a territory)
bound en · NOUN · etymology 5
Pronunciation
/ˈbæʊ̯nd/ Southern US, Midland US, Mid-Atlantic US, New York City, Australia, New Zealand
From Middle English *bounden (attested as bounten), from French bondir (“leap", "bound", originally "make a loud resounding noise”); perhaps from Late Latin bombitāre (“hum, buzz”), frequentative verb, from Latin bombus (“a humming or buzzing”).
Meanings
A sizeable jump, great leap.
The deer crossed the stream in a single bound.
A spring from one foot to the other in dancing.
(dated) A bounce; a rebound.
Balzo, a bound of a ball 1598, John Florio, “Balzo”, in A Worlde of Words, or Most Copious, and Exact Dictionarie in Italian and English, […], London: […] Arnold Hatfield for Edw[ard] Blount, →OCLC:
From Middle English *bounden (attested as bounten), from French bondir (“leap", "bound", originally "make a loud resounding noise”); perhaps from Late Latin bombitāre (“hum, buzz”), frequentative verb, from Latin bombus (“a humming or buzzing”).
Meanings
(intransitive) To leap, move by jumping.
The rabbit bounded down the lane.
But when I turn away, / Thou, willing me to stay, / Wooest not, nor vainly wranglest; / But, looking fixedly the while, / All my bounding heart entanglest, / In a golden-netted smile; […] 1842, Alfred Tennyson, “Madeleine”, in Poems. […], volume I, London: Edward Moxon, […], →OCLC, stanza 3, page 19:
They make love, he hauls her to the bath, washes her, hauls her out and dries her, and twenty minutes later Mary and Magnus are bounding across the little park on the top of Döbling like the happy couple they nearly are, past the sandpits and the climbing frame that Tom is too big for, past the elephant cage where Tom kicks his football, down the hill towards the Restaurant Teheran which is their improbable pub because Magnus so adores the black and white videos of Arab romances they play for you with the sound down while you eat your couscous and drink your Kalterer. 1986, John le Carré, A Perfect Spy:
(transitive) To cause to leap.
[…] Or if I might buffet for my Loue, or bound my Horſe for her fauours, I could lay on like a Butcher, and fit like a Iack an Apes, neuer off. , Act V, Scene II, page 93
to bound a horse
(dated, intransitive) To rebound; to bounce.
A rubber ball bounds on the floor.
(dated, transitive) To cause to rebound; to throw so that it will rebound; to bounce.