American English pronunciation

How to pronounce bound

IPA transcription: ['baʊnd]

Hear “bound” pronounced

['baʊnd]

Quality: 0.98

['baʊnd]

Quality: 0.98

['baʊnd]

Quality: 0.98

Noun

  • the greatest possible degree of something

    “what he did was beyond the bounds of acceptable behavior”

    “to the limit of his ability”

  • a line determining the limits of an area

  • a light, self-propelled movement upwards or forwards

  • the line or plane indicating the limit or extent of something

Verb

  • move forward by leaps and bounds

    “The horse bounded across the meadow”

    “The child leapt across the puddle”

    “Can you jump over the fence?”

  • place limits on (extent or access)

    “restrict the use of this parking lot”

    “limit the time you can spend with your friends”

  • spring back; spring away from an impact

    “The rubber ball bounced”

    “These particles do not resile but they unite after they collide”

  • stick to firmly

    “Will this wallpaper adhere to the wall?”

  • fasten or secure with a rope, string, or cord

    “They tied their victim to the chair”

  • create social or emotional ties

    “The grandparents want to bond with the child”

  • make fast; tie or secure, with or as if with a rope

    “The Chinese would bind the feet of their women”

  • secure with or as if with ropes

    “tie down the prisoners”

    “tie up the old newspapers and bring them to the recycling shed”

  • form the boundary of; be contiguous to

  • wrap around with something so as to cover or enclose

  • bind by an obligation; cause to be indebted

    “He's held by a contract”

    “I'll hold you by your promise”

  • provide with a binding

    “bind the books in leather”

  • form a chemical bond with

    “The hydrogen binds the oxygen”

  • cause to be constipated

    “These foods tend to constipate you”

Adjective

  • confined by bonds

    “bound and gagged hostages”

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

  • secured with a cover or binding; often used as a combining form

    “bound volumes”

    “leather-bound volumes”

Adjective

  • covered or wrapped with a bandage

    “the bandaged wound on the back of his head”

    “an injury bound in fresh gauze”

  • (usually followed by `to') governed by fate

    “bound to happen”

    “an old house destined to be demolished”

    “he is destined to be famous”

  • 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”

  • bound by an oath

    “a bound official”

  • bound by contract

  • confined in the bowels

    “he is bound in the belly”

Usage examples

  • "Where are you bound?" asked the young Arab.
  • The westbound Atlantic crossing carried an expanded crew including a shore party.
  • It is named after a large northward bend in the river's otherwise southbound course.
  • The budget set is bounded above by the budget line.
  • Individual parks may or may not cross governmental boundaries.
  • The remaining western, southern, and lower eastern boundary is adjacent to non-federal government land.
  • Two small white and brown dogs bound in unison.
  • It was a water-logged jungle, in which tigers and other wild beasts abounded.
  • Pages bound in cloth make a book.
  • The northern coast of the Olympic Peninsula forms the southern boundary of the strait.