bound
Noun · Verb · AdjectiveOpen English WordNet
Adjective (9)
- confined by bonds“bound and gagged hostages”Opposite unboundSimilar trussed, fettered, chained, tethered, pinioned, furled, wiredSee also unfree
- held with another element, substance or material in chemical or physical unionOpposite freeSimilar conjugate
- secured with a cover or binding; often used as a combining form“bound volumes”“leather-bound volumes”Opposite unboundSimilar well-bound, paperback, half-bound, cased, brassbound
- (usually followed by ‘to’) governed by fate“bound to happen”“an old house destined to be demolished”“he is destined to be famous”Synonyms: destinedOpposite uncertainSimilar certain, sure
- covered or wrapped with a bandage“the bandaged wound on the back of his head”“an injury bound in fresh gauze”Synonyms: bandagedOpposite untreatedSimilar treated
- headed or intending to head in a certain direction; often used as a combining form as in ‘college-bound students’“children bound for school”“a flight destined for New York”Synonyms: destinedOpposite unorientedSimilar oriented, orientated
- bound by an oath“a bound official”
- bound by contractSynonyms: apprenticedarticledindentured
- confined in the bowels“he is bound in the belly”
Verb (4)bounds, bounded, bounding
- move forward by leaps and bounds“The horse bounded across the meadow”“The child leapt across the puddle”“Can you jump over the fence?”Synonyms: jumpleapspringMore general moveMore specific bounce, hop, burst, caper, capriole, ski jump, leapfrog, vault, curvet, saltate +2 more
- form the boundary of; be contiguous toSynonyms: borderMore general enclose, hold inMore specific verge, skirt, shore
- place limits on (extent or amount or access)“restrict the use of this parking lot”“limit the time you can spend with your friends”Synonyms: restricttrammellimitconfinethrottleMore general act, moveMore specific tie, hamper, stiffen, draw the line, mark off, reduce, restrain, scant, gate, demarcate +1 more
- spring back; spring away from an impact“The rubber ball bounced”“These particles do not resile but they unite after they collide”Synonyms: bounceresiletake a hopspringreboundrecoilreverberatericochetMore general jump, leapMore specific kick back, skip, carom
Noun (4)bounds
- a line determining the limits of an areaSynonyms: boundaryedgeType of lineKinds periphery, margin, rim, brink, thalweg, upper bound, lower bound
- the line or plane indicating the limit or extent of somethingSynonyms: boundaryboundsType of extremityKinds surface, edge, boundary line, outline, limit, end, hairline, shoreline, city line, heliopause +4 moreExamples Mohorovicic discontinuity, Rubicon
- the greatest possible degree of something“what he did was beyond the bounds of acceptable behavior”“to the limit of his ability”Synonyms: limitboundaryType of extentKinds utmost, verge, knife-edge, thermal barrier, starkness
- a light, self-propelled movement upwards or forwardsSynonyms: leapleapingspringsaltationbounceType of jump, jumpingKinds caper, pounce
What does it mean? Question 1 of today’s quiz
Translations
Noun bound, limit of a set (maths)
The main translation for each meaning, from the langtolang.com multilingual dictionary. Each word links to its full entry there.
Webster's Dictionary (1913)
Origin: OE. bounde, bunne, OF. bonne, bonde, bodne, F. borne, fr. LL. bodina, bodena, bonna; prob. of Celtic origin; cf. Arm. bonn boundary, limit, and boden, bod, a tuft or cluster of trees, by which a boundary or limit could be marked. Cf. Bourne.
The external or limiting line, either real or imaginary, of any object or space; that which limits or restrains, or within which something is limited or restrained; limit; confine; extent; boundary.
He hath compassed the waters with bounds.— Job xxvi. 10.
On earth's remotest bounds.— Thomas Campbell
And mete the bounds of hate and love.— Alfred Tennyson
To keep within bounds, not to exceed or pass beyond assigned limits; to act with propriety or discretion.
Synonyms: See Boundary.
1. To limit; to terminate; to fix the furthest point of extension of; — said of natural or of moral objects; to lie along, or form, a boundary of; to inclose; to circumscribe; to restrain; to confine.
Where full measure only bounds excess.— John Milton
Phlegethon... Whose fiery flood the burning empire bounds.— John Dryden
2. To name the boundaries of; as, to bound France.
Origin: F. bondir to leap, OF. bondir, bundir, to leap, resound, fr. L. bombitare to buzz, hum, fr. bombus a humming, buzzing. See Bomb.
1. To move with a sudden spring or leap, or with a succession of springs or leaps; as the beast bounded from his den; the herd bounded across the plain.
Before his lord the ready spaniel bounds.— Alexander Pope
And the waves bound beneath me as a steed That knows his rider.— George Noel Gordon, Ld. Byron
2. To rebound, as an elastic ball.
1. To make to bound or leap; as, to bound a horse. rare William Shakespeare
2. To cause to rebound; to throw so that it will rebound; as, to bound a ball on the floor. Collog.
1. A leap; an elastic spring; a jump.
A bound of graceful hardihood.— William Wordsworth
2. Rebound; as, the bound of a ball. Dr. Samuel Johnson
3. Dancing Spring from one foot to the other.
past tense & past participle of Bind.
1. Restrained by a hand, rope, chain, fetters, or the like.
2. Inclosed in a binding or cover; as, a bound volume.
3. Under legal or moral restraint or obligation.
4. Constrained or compelled; destined; certain; — followed by the infinitive; as, he is bound to succeed; he is bound to fail.
5. Resolved; as, I am bound to do it. Collog. U. S.
6. Constipated; costive.
☞ Used also in composition; as, icebound, windbound, hidebound, etc.
Bound bailiff English law, a sheriff's officer who serves writs, makes arrests, etc. The sheriff being answerable for the bailiff's misdemeanors, the bailiff is usually under bond for the faithful discharge of his trust. — Bound up in, entirely devoted to; inseparable from.
Origin: Past p. of OE. bounen to prepare, fr. boun ready, prepared, fr. Icel. būinn, p. p. of būa to dwell, prepare; akin to E. boor and bower. See Bond, adjective, and cf. Busk, verb
Ready or intending to go; on the way toward; going; — with to or for, or with an adverb of motion; as, a ship is bound to Cadiz, or for Cadiz. “The mariner bound homeward.” William Cowper
Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913), from GCIDE 0.54