bind
/ˈbaɪ̯nd/ verb, noun
Forms binds binding bound binded bounden ybound ybounden
- verb (intransitive) To tie; to confine by any ligature.
- verb (intransitive) To cohere or stick together in a mass. “We’ll throw it in just to make the cheese more binding.”
- verb (intransitive) To be restrained from motion, or from customary or natural action, as by friction. “I wish I knew why the sewing machine binds up after I use it for a while.”
- verb (intransitive) To exert a binding or restraining influence. “These are the ties that bind.”
- verb (transitive) To tie or fasten tightly together, with a cord, band, ligature, chain, etc. “To bind grain in bundles.”
- verb (transitive) To confine, restrain, or hold by physical force or influence of any kind. “Gravity binds the planets to the sun.”
- verb (transitive) To couple.
- verb (figuratively) To oblige, restrain, or hold, by authority, law, duty, promise, vow, affection, or other social tie. “to bind the conscience.”
- noun (countable) That which binds or ties.
- noun (countable) A troublesome situation; a problem; a predicament or quandary.
- noun Any twining or climbing plant or stem, especially a hop vine; a bine.
- noun (music, countable) A ligature or tie for grouping notes.
- noun (chess, countable) A strong grip or stranglehold on a position, which is difficult for the opponent to break. “the Maróczy Bind”
- noun The indurated clay of coal mines, or other overlying substances such as sandstone or shale.
Synonyms
fetter make fast tie fasten restrain curtail behedge guard govern smother chasten choke back check inhibit catch contain vanquish cork curb quench adhere hold fast bond stick stick to attach bandage tie down tie up truss
Antonyms
Etymology
From Middle English binden, from Old English bindan, from Proto-West Germanic *bindan, from Proto-Germanic *bindaną, from Proto-Indo-European *bʰéndʰ-e-ti, from *bʰendʰ- (“to tie”).
See also West Frisian bine, Dutch binden, Low German binnen, binden, German binden, Danish, Norwegian Bokmål, and Norwegian Nynorsk binde, Faroese, Icelandic, and Swedish binda; also Welsh ben (“cart”), Latin offendīx (“knot, band”), Lithuanian beñdras (“partner”), Albanian bind (“to convince, to awe, to spell”), Ancient Greek πεῖσμα (peîsma, “cable, rope”), Persian بستن (bastan, “to bind”), Sanskrit बन्धति (bándhati). Doublet of bandana.
Webster’s 1913
- verb To tie, or confine with a cord, band, ligature, chain, etc.; to fetter; to make fast; as, to bind grain in bundles; to bind a prisoner.
- verb To confine, restrain, or hold by physical force or influence of any kind; as, attraction binds the planets to the sun; frost binds the earth, or the streams.
- verb To tie; to confine by any ligature.
- verb To contract; to grow hard or stiff; to cohere or stick together in a mass; as, clay binds by heat. Mortimer.
Etymology [AS. bindan, perfect tense band, bundon, p. p. bunden; akin to D. & G. binden, Dan. binde, Sw. & Icel. binda, Goth. bindan, Skr. bandh (for bhandh) to bind, cf. Gr. (for ) cable, and L. offendix. sq. root90.]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “bind”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details