bound
/ˈbaʊ̯nd/ adjective, noun, verb, proper noun
Also a form of bind
Forms bounds bounding bounded bownd
- adjective (with infinitive) Obliged (to). “You are not legally bound to reply.”
- adjective (linguistics, of a morpheme) That cannot stand alone as a free word.
- adjective (mathematics, logic, of a variable) Constrained by a quantifier.
- adjective (dated) Constipated; costive.
- adjective (in combination) Confined or restricted to a certain place. “railbound”
- adjective (in combination) Unable to move in certain conditions. “snowbound”
- adjective (obsolete) Ready, prepared.
- adjective Ready to start or go (to); moving in the direction (of). “Which way are you bound? —I'm already homeward bound.”
- adjective (with infinitive) Very likely (to), certain to “They were bound to come into conflict eventually.”
- noun (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.”
- noun (mathematics) A value which is known to be greater or smaller than a given set of values.
- verb (transitive) To surround a territory or other geographical entity; to form the boundary of. “grounds bounded on three sides by a river.”
- verb (transitive, mathematics) To be the bound of.
- noun A sizeable jump, great leap. “The deer crossed the stream in a single bound.”
- noun A spring from one foot to the other in dancing.
- noun (dated) A bounce; a rebound.
- verb (intransitive) To leap, move by jumping. “The rabbit bounded down the lane.”
- verb (transitive) To cause to leap. “to bound a horse”
- verb (intransitive, dated) To rebound; to bounce. “A rubber ball bounds on the floor.”
- verb (transitive, dated) To cause to rebound; to throw so that it will rebound; to bounce. “to bound a ball on the floor”
Synonyms
lollop boundary edge bounds limit leap leaping spring saltation bounce jump border restrict restrain trammel confine throttle resile take a hop rebound recoil reverberate ricochet destined bandaged apprenticed articled indentured
Antonyms
Etymology
From Middle English bound, bund (preterite) and bounden, bunden, ibunden, ȝebunden (past participle), from Old English bund- and bunden, ġebunden respectively. See bind.
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”).
From Middle English bounde, from Old French bunne, from Medieval Latin bodina, earlier butina (“a bound, limit”).
From Middle English bounden, from the noun (see above).
Webster’s 1913
- noun 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.
- verb 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.
- verb To name the boundaries of; as, to bound France.
- verb 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.
Etymology [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.]
Etymology [F. bondir to leap, OF. bondir, bundir, to leap, resound, fr. L. bombitare to buzz, hum, fr. bombus a humming, buzzing. See Bomb.]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “bound”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details