bound

[ bound ]

/ baʊnd /

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See synonyms for: bound / bounded / bounding / boundness on Thesaurus.com

verb

simple past tense and past participle of bind.

adjective

tied; in bonds: a bound prisoner.

made fast as if by a band or bond: She is bound to her family.

secured within a cover, as a book.

under a legal or moral obligation: He is bound by the terms of the contract.

destined; sure; certain: It is bound to happen.

determined or resolved: He is bound to go.

Pathology. constipated.

Mathematics. (of a vector) having a specified initial point as well as magnitude and direction.Compare free (def. 32).

held with another element, substance, or material in chemical or physical union.

(of a linguistic form) occurring only in combination with other forms, as most affixes.Compare free (def. 35).

OTHER WORDS FOR bound

5 liable, obligated, obliged; compelled.

See synonyms for bound on Thesaurus.com

QUIZ

THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?

Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.

Question 1 of 7

In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…

candystring

candyfloss

candypuff

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Idioms about bound

bound up in / with,

inseparably connected with.
devoted or attached to: She is bound up in her teaching.

Origin of bound

Past participle and past tense of bind

OTHER WORDS FROM bound

boundness, noun

Words nearby bound

bouncer, bouncing, bouncing Bet, bouncy, bouncy castle, bound, bound and determined to, boundary, Boundary Commission, boundary condition, boundary layer

Other definitions for bound (2 of 6)

bound²

[ bound ]

/ baʊnd /

verb (used without object)

to move by leaps; leap; jump; spring: The colt bounded through the meadow.

to rebound, as a ball; bounce: The ball bounded against the wall.

noun

a leap onward or upward; jump.

a rebound; bounce.

Origin of bound

First recorded in 1545–55; from Middle French bond “a leap,” bondir “to leap,” originally “bounce back, echo,” ultimately from Vulgar Latin bombitīre (unattested) for bombitāre “to buzz, whiz” (Latin bomb(us) (see bomb) + -it- intensive suffix + -ā- thematic vowel + -re infinitive suffix)

synonym study for bound

1. See skip¹.

OTHER WORDS FROM bound

bound·ing·ly, adverb

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH bound

bind, bound

Other definitions for bound (3 of 6)

bound³

[ bound ]

/ baʊnd /

noun

Usually bounds . a limit or boundary: the bounds of space and time;within the bounds of his estate;within the bounds of reason.

something that limits, confines, or restrains.

bounds,

territories on or near a boundary.
land within boundary lines.

Mathematics. a number greater than or equal to, or less than or equal to, all the numbers in a given set.Compare greatest lower bound, least upper bound, lower bound, upper bound.

verb (used with object)

to limit by or as if by bounds; keep within limits or confines.

to form the boundary or limit of.

to name or list the boundary of.

verb (used without object)

to abut.

OTHER WORDS FOR bound

1 border, frontier, confines.

See synonyms for bound on Thesaurus.com

Origin of bound

First recorded in1175–1225; Middle English bounde, from Anglo-French; Old French bone, bonde, variant of bodne, from Medieval Latin budina, of uncertain origin; cf. bourn²

OTHER WORDS FROM bound

bound·a·ble, adjective

Other definitions for bound (4 of 6)

bound⁴

[ bound ]

/ baʊnd /

adjective

going or intending to go; on the way to; destined (usually followed by for): The train is bound for Denver.

Archaic. prepared; ready.

Origin of bound

⁴

First recorded in 1150–1200; Middle English b(o)un) “ready,” from Old Norse būinn, past participle of būa “to get ready”

Other definitions for bound (5 of 6)

-bound¹

a combining form of bound¹: snowbound.

Other definitions for bound (6 of 6)

-bound²

a combining form of bound⁴: eastbound.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use bound in a sentence

Some are afraid their homes are at risk if a fire escapes its bounds, or that the smoke will harm their health.
How we can burn our way to a better future|Ula Chrobak|October 2, 2020|Popular-Science
What’s more, our awareness of exactly what’s lurking out there has advanced by leaps and bounds—especially when it comes to the largest, most dangerous objects in our neighborhood.
The World’s Space Agencies Are on a Quest to Deflect a (Harmless) Asteroid|Jason Dorrier|September 27, 2020|Singularity Hub
This means all the energy available to support life was historically bounded by the supply provided by photosynthetic organisms.
Dawn of the Heliocene - Issue 90: Something Green|Summer Praetorius|September 16, 2020|Nautilus
Though Deep Blue was meticulously programmed top-to-bottom to play chess, the approach was too labor-intensive, too dependent on clear rules and bounded possibilities to succeed at more complex games, let alone in the real world.
DeepMind’s Newest AI Programs Itself to Make All the Right Decisions|Jason Dorrier|July 26, 2020|Singularity Hub

The neighborhood is bounded by University Boulevard, Cheery Creek, Downing Street, and 8th street.
Denver: Where the Queer Community is a Mile High|LGBTQ-Editor|July 14, 2020|No Straight News
That act forever sealed his feeling for the Chief, bound it up with the war, with violence, with the gun.
The Story Behind Lee Marvin’s Liberty Valance Smile|Robert Ward|January 3, 2015|DAILY BEAST
They were born in 51 countries and speak 59 foreign languages, but they seemed bound by a single purpose and resolve.
Cop Families Boo De Blasio at NYPD Graduation|Michael Daly|December 30, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Bound together by mutual distrust, both sides end up lashing themselves to the mast of rigid law.
Red Tape Is Strangling Good Samaritans|Philip K. Howard|December 27, 2014|DAILY BEAST
From 2012 to 2013, 31 men left Aarhus bound for combat in Syria.
What the U.S. Can Learn from Europe About Dealing with Terrorists|Scott Beauchamp|December 15, 2014|DAILY BEAST
That is bound to put a dent in public confidence in the police.
Idris Elba on Eric Garner, ‘Mi Mandela,’ and Selling Weed to Dave Chappelle|Marlow Stern|December 6, 2014|DAILY BEAST
On the thirteenth of the same month they bound to the stake, in order to burn alive, a man who had two religious in his house.
The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898, Volume XX, 1621-1624|Various
A small book, bound in full purple calf, lay half hidden in a nest of fine tissue paper on the dressing-table.
Hilda Lessways|Arnold Bennett
A good many children seem to be like savages in distinguishing those to whom one is bound to speak the truth.
Children's Ways|James Sully
These officers are bound to maintayne themselves and families with food and rayment by their owne and their servant's industrie.
Tobacco; Its History, Varieties, Culture, Manufacture and Commerce|E. R. Billings.
A flock of weary sheep pattered along the road, barnward bound, heavy eyed and bleating softly.
The Soldier of the Valley|Nelson Lloyd

British Dictionary definitions for bound (1 of 4)

bound¹

/ (baʊnd) /

verb

the past tense and past participle of bind

adjective

in bonds or chains; tied with or as if with a ropea bound prisoner

(in combination) restricted; confinedhousebound; fogbound

(postpositive , foll by an infinitive) destined; sure; certainit's bound to happen

(postpositive, often foll by by) compelled or obliged to act, behave, or think in a particular way, as by duty, circumstance, or convention

(of a book) secured within a cover or bindingto deliver bound books See also half-bound

(postpositive, foll by on) US resolved; determinedbound on winning

linguistics

denoting a morpheme, such as the prefix non-, that occurs only as part of another word and not as a separate word in itselfCompare free (def. 21)
(in systemic grammar) denoting a clause that has a nonfinite predicator or that is introduced by a binder, and that occurs only together with a freestanding clauseCompare freestanding

logic (of a variable) occurring within the scope of a quantifier that indicates the degree of generality of the open sentence in which the variable occurs: in (x) (Fx → bxy), x is bound and y is freeSee free (def. 22)

bound up with closely or inextricably linked withhis irritability is bound up with his work

I'll be bound I am sure (something) is true

British Dictionary definitions for bound (2 of 4)

bound²

/ (baʊnd) /

verb

to move forwards or make (one's way) by leaps or jumps

to bounce; spring away from an impact

noun

a jump upwards or forwards

by leaps and bounds with unexpectedly rapid progessher condition improved by leaps and bounds

a sudden pronounced sense of excitementhis heart gave a sudden bound when he saw her

a bounce, as of a ball

Word Origin for bound

C16: from Old French bond a leap, from bondir to jump, resound, from Vulgar Latin bombitīre (unattested) to buzz, hum, from Latin bombus booming sound

British Dictionary definitions for bound (3 of 4)

bound³

/ (baʊnd) /

verb

(tr) to place restrictions on; limit

(when intr, foll by on) to form a boundary of (an area of land or sea, political or administrative region, etc)

noun

maths

a number which is greater than all the members of a set of numbers (an upper bound), or less than all its members (a lower bound)See also bounded (def. 1)
more generally, an element of an ordered set that has the same ordering relation to all the members of a given subset
whence, an estimate of the extent of some set

See bounds

Word Origin for bound

C13: from Old French bonde, from Medieval Latin bodina, of Gaulish origin

British Dictionary definitions for bound (4 of 4)

bound⁴

/ (baʊnd) /

adjective

(postpositive, often foll by for) going or intending to go towards; on the way toa ship bound for Jamaica; homeward bound
(in combination)northbound traffic

Word Origin for bound

C13: from Old Norse buinn, past participle of būa to prepare

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Idioms and Phrases with bound

bound

In addition to the idioms beginning with bound

bound and determined to
bound for
bound hand and foot
bound to, be
bound up in

also see:

by leaps and bounds
duty bound
honor bound
out of bounds
within bounds

Also see underbind.

bound

OTHER WORDS FOR bound

Idioms about bound

Origin of bound

OTHER WORDS FROM bound

Words nearby bound

Other definitions for bound (2 of 6)

Origin of bound

synonym study for bound

OTHER WORDS FROM bound

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH bound

Other definitions for bound (3 of 6)

OTHER WORDS FOR bound

Origin of bound

OTHER WORDS FROM bound

Other definitions for bound (4 of 6)

Origin of bound

Other definitions for bound (5 of 6)

Other definitions for bound (6 of 6)

Words related to bound

How to use bound in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for bound (1 of 4)

British Dictionary definitions for bound (2 of 4)

Word Origin for bound

British Dictionary definitions for bound (3 of 4)

Word Origin for bound

British Dictionary definitions for bound (4 of 4)

Word Origin for bound

Other Idioms and Phrases with bound