bind

American  

[bahynd] / baɪnd /

verb (used with object)

bound, binding

1. to fasten or secure with a band or bond.

   Synonyms:

   tie, fasten, attach

   Antonyms:

   untie, unfasten, unbind, loosen, loose

2. to encircle with a band or ligature.

   She bound her hair with a ribbon.

   Synonyms:

   wrap, belt, gird

3. to swathe or bandage (often followed byup ).

   to bind up one's wounds.

4. to fasten around; fix in place by girding.

   They bound his hands behind him.

5. to tie up (anything, as sheaves of grain).

6. to cause to cohere.

   Ice bound the soil.

7. to unite by any legal or moral tie.

   to be bound by a contract.

8. to hold to a particular state, place, employment, etc..

   Business kept him bound to the city.

9. to place under obligation or compulsion (usually used passively).

   We are bound by good sense to obey the country's laws.

   Synonyms:

   obligate, oblige, engage

10. Law. to put under legal obligation, as to keep the peace or appear as a witness (often followed byover ).

    This action binds them to keep the peace. He was bound over to the grand jury.

11. to make compulsory or obligatory.

    to bind the order with a deposit.

12. to fasten or secure within a cover, as a book.

    They will bind the new book in leather.

13. to cover the edge of, as for protection or ornament.

    to bind a carpet.

14. (of clothing) to chafe or restrict (the wearer).

    This shirt binds me under the arms.

15. Medicine/Medical. to hinder or restrain (the bowels) from their natural function; constipate.

16. to indenture as an apprentice (often followed byout ).

    In his youth his father bound him to a blacksmith.

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verb (used without object)

bound, binding

1. to become compact or solid; cohere.

   The eggs and the flour bind, creating a stable cake.

2. to be obligatory.

   It is a duty that binds.

3. to chafe or restrict, as poorly fitting garments.

   This jacket binds through the shoulders.

4. to get stuck or cease to move freely.

   Overheating made the drill bit bind in the wood.

5. to temporarily flatten one's breast tissue using compression garments or strips of fabric, often done by gender-diverse people as part of their gender expression.

   I feel pretty masculine today, so I think I'll bind.

6. Falconry. (of a hawk) to grapple or grasp prey firmly in flight (usually followed byto ).

   The falcon binds to the pheasant and then carries it to the hunter.

noun

1. the act or process of binding; the state or instance of being bound.

2. something that binds.

3. Informal. a difficult situation or predicament.

   This schedule has us in a bind.

4. Music. a tie, slur, or brace.

5. Falconry. the act of binding to prey in flight.

verb phrase

1. bind off to loop (one stitch) over another in making an edge on knitted fabric.

bind British  

/ baɪnd /

verb

1. to make or become fast or secure with or as if with a tie or band

2. to encircle or enclose with a band

   to bind the hair

3. (tr) to place (someone) under obligation; oblige

4. (tr) to impose legal obligations or duties upon (a person or party to an agreement)

5. (tr) to make (a bargain, agreement, etc) irrevocable; seal

6. (tr) to restrain or confine with or as if with ties, as of responsibility or loyalty

7. (tr) to place under certain constraints; govern

8. to bandage or swathe

   to bind a wound

9. to cohere or stick or cause to cohere or stick

   egg binds fat and flour

10. to make or become compact, stiff, or hard

    frost binds the earth

11. 1. (tr) to enclose and fasten (the pages of a book) between covers

    2. (intr) (of a book) to undergo this process

12. (tr) to provide (a garment, hem, etc) with a border or edging, as for decoration or to prevent fraying

13. (tr; sometimes foll by out or over) to employ as an apprentice; indenture

14. slang (intr) to complain

15. (tr) logic to bring (a variable) into the scope of an appropriate quantifier See also bound 1

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noun

1. something that binds

2. the act of binding or state of being bound

3. informal a difficult or annoying situation

4. another word for bine

5. music another word for tie

6. mining clay between layers of coal

7. fencing a pushing movement with the blade made to force one's opponent's sword from one line into another

8. chess a position in which one player's pawns have a hold on the centre that makes it difficult for the opponent to advance there

bind Scientific  

/ bīnd /

1. To combine with, form a bond with, or be taken up by a chemical or chemical structure. An enzyme, for example, is structured in such a way as to be able to bind with its substrate.

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bind Idioms  

More idioms and phrases containing bind

• bound
• in a bind

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Other Word Forms

• bindable adjective
• misbind verb
• rebind verb

Etymology

Origin of bind

First recorded before 1000; Middle English binden (verb), Old English bindan; cognate with Old High German bintan, Old Norse binda, Gothic bindan, Sanskrit bandhati “(he) binds”

Explanation

If you're in a bind, you have been hindered by some situation. You'll find yourself in a bind if you agree to bring dessert to a party, only to realize that you're out of fruit, sugar, and chocolate chips. The verb bind means to tie, secure, or fasten as with string or rope. When you put a Christmas tree on the top of your car, you need to bind it with twine to make sure it stays there while you drive. The past tense of bind is "bound." To bind is also to create an emotional attachment. Your love for your family binds you to them.

Example Sentences

For instance, one of the Bible’s best-known passages has God test Abraham by demanding he bind and sacrifice Isaac.

From Salon • Mar. 29, 2026

The researchers discovered that intelectin-2 from both humans and mice can bind to a sugar molecule called galactose.

From Science Daily • Mar. 16, 2026

"This is certainly a bind for the Fed, because supply shocks are extremely hard to deal with in that they lift inflation and they curb output," EY-Parthenon chief economist Gregory Daco told AFP.

From Barron's • Mar. 15, 2026

“There’s a long way to go, but we have been able to bind ions with specific enzymes and leave the stuff behind that we don’t want to touch,” Riley said.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 10, 2026

As she knelt to bind Mr. Curtain’s hands and feet, Kate eagerly told them what had happened.

From "The Mysterious Benedict Society" by Trenton Lee Stewart

Related Words

• attach
• connect
• cover
• dress
• handcuff
• restrict
• shackle
• stick
• strap
• tether
• tie up
• unite
• wrap