Adjacent Words

Bind definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

BIND, v.t.
1. To tie together,or confine with a cord, or any thing that is flexible; to fasten as with a band, fillet or ligature.
2. To gird, inwrap or involve; to confine by a wrapper, cover or bandage; sometimes with up; as, to bind up a wound.
3. To confine or restrain, as with a chain, fetters or cord; as, bind him hand and foot.
4. To restrain in any manner.
He bindeth the floods from overflowing. Job 28.
5. To oblige by a promise, vow, stipulation, covenant, law, duty or any other moral tie; to engage.
If a man shall swear an oath to bind his soul with a bond. Numbers 30.
We are bound by the laws of kindness, of nature, of a state, etc.
6. To confirm or ratify.
Whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth, shall be bound in heaven. Matthew 16.
7. To distress, trouble, or confine by infirmity.
Whom Satan hath bound these eighteen years. Luke 13.
8. To constrain by a powerful influence or persuasion.
I go bound in the spirit to Jerusalem. Acts 20.
9. To restrain the natural discharges of the bowels; to make costive; as, certain kinds of food bind the body or bowels.
10. To form a border; to fasten with a band, ribin, or any thing that strengthens the edges; as, to bind a garment or carpet.
11. To cover with leather or anything firm; to sew together and cover; as, to bind a book.
12. To cover or secure by a band; as, to bind a wheel with tire.
13. To oblige to serve, by contract; as, to bind an apprentice; often with out; as, to bind out a servant.
14. To make hard or firm; as, certain substances bind the earth.
To bind to is to contract; as, to bind one's self to a wife.
To bind over is to oblige by bond to appear at a court.
BIND, v.i. To contract; to grow hard or stiff; as, clay binds by heat.
1. To grow or become costive.
2. To be obligatory.
BIND, n. A stalk of hops, so called from its winding round a pole or tree, or being bound to it.
1. A bind of eels, is a quantity consisting of 10 strikes, each containing 25 eels, or 250 in the whole.
2. Among miners, indurated clay, when much mixed with the oxyd of iron.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: something that hinders as if with bonds v
1: stick to firmly; "Will this wallpaper adhere to the wall?" [syn: adhere, hold fast, bond, bind, stick, stick to]
2: create social or emotional ties; "The grandparents want to bond with the child" [syn: bind, tie, attach, bond]
3: make fast; tie or secure, with or as if with a rope; "The Chinese would bind the feet of their women" [ant: unbind]
4: wrap around with something so as to cover or enclose [syn: bind, bandage]
5: secure with or as if with ropes; "tie down the prisoners"; "tie up the old newspapers and bring them to the recycling shed" [syn: tie down, tie up, bind, truss]
6: bind by an obligation; cause to be indebted; "He's held by a contract"; "I'll hold you by your promise" [syn: oblige, bind, hold, obligate]
7: provide with a binding; "bind the books in leather"
8: fasten or secure with a rope, string, or cord; "They tied their victim to the chair" [syn: tie, bind] [ant: unbrace, unlace, untie]
9: form a chemical bond with; "The hydrogen binds the oxygen"
10: cause to be constipated; "These foods tend to constipate you" [syn: constipate, bind]

Merriam Webster's

I. verb (bound; binding) Etymology: Middle English, from Old English bindan; akin to Old High German bintan to bind, Greek peisma cable, Sanskrit badhn?ti he ties Date: before 12th century transitive verb 1. a. to make secure by tying b. to confine, restrain, or restrict as if with bonds c. to put under an obligation <binds himself with an oath> d. to constrain with legal authority 2. a. to wrap around with something so as to enclose or cover b. bandage 3. to fasten round about 4. to tie together (as stocks of wheat) 5. a. to cause to stick together b. to take up and hold (as by chemical forces) ; combine with 6. constipate 7. to make a firm commitment for <a handshake binds the deal> 8. to protect, strengthen, or decorate by a band or binding 9. to apply the parts of the cover to (a book) 10. to set at work as an apprentice ; indenture 11. to cause to have an emotional attachment 12. to fasten together <a pin bound the ends of the scarf> intransitive verb 1. a. to form a cohesive mass b. to combine or be taken up especially by chemical action <antibody binds to a specific antigen> 2. to hamper free movement or natural action 3. to become hindered from free operation 4. to exert a restraining or compelling effect <a promise that binds> II. noun Date: before 12th century 1. a. something that binds b. the act of binding ; the state of being bound c. a place where binding occurs 2. tie 3 3. a position or situation in which one is hampered, constrained, or prevented from free movement or action

Oxford Reference Dictionary

v. & n. --v. (past and past part. bound) (see also BOUNDEN). 1 tr. (often foll. by to, on, together) tie or fasten tightly. 2 tr. a restrain; put in bonds. b (as -bound adj.) constricted, obstructed (snowbound). 3 tr. esp. Cookery cause (ingredients) to cohere using another ingredient. 4 tr. fasten or hold together as a single mass. 5 tr. compel; impose an obligation or duty on. 6 tr. a edge (fabric etc.) with braid etc. b fix together and fasten (the pages of a book) in a cover. 7 tr. constipate. 8 tr. ratify (a bargain, agreement, etc.). 9 tr. (in passive) be required by an obligation or duty (am bound to answer). 10 tr. (often foll. by up) a put a bandage or other covering round. b fix together with something put round (bound her hair). 11 tr. indenture as an apprentice. 12 intr. (of snow etc.) cohere, stick. 13 intr. be prevented from moving freely. 14 intr. sl. complain. --n. 1 colloq. a nuisance; a restriction. 2 = BINE. Phrases and idioms: be bound up with be closely associated with. bind over Law order (a person) to do something, esp. keep the peace. bind up bandage. I'll be bound a statement of assurance, or guaranteeing the truth of something. Etymology: OE bindan

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Bind Bind, v. i. 1. To tie; to confine by any ligature. They that reap must sheaf and bind. --Shak. 2. To contract; to grow hard or stiff; to cohere or stick together in a mass; as, clay binds by heat. --Mortimer. 3. To be restrained from motion, or from customary or natural action, as by friction. 4. To exert a binding or restraining influence. --Locke.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Bind Bind, n. 1. That which binds or ties. 2. Any twining or climbing plant or stem, esp. a hop vine; a bine. 3. (Metal.) Indurated clay, when much mixed with the oxide of iron. --Kirwan. 4. (Mus.) A ligature or tie for grouping notes.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Bind Bind, v. t. [imp. Bound; p. p. Bound, formerly Bounden; p. pr. & vb. n. Binding.] [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. [root]90.] 1. 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. 2. 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. He bindeth the floods from overflowing. --Job xxviii. 11. Whom Satan hath bound, lo, these eighteen years. --Luke xiii. 16. 3. To cover, as with a bandage; to bandage or dress; -- sometimes with up; as, to bind up a wound. 4. To make fast ( a thing) about or upon something, as by tying; to encircle with something; as, to bind a belt about one; to bind a compress upon a part. 5. To prevent or restrain from customary or natural action; as, certain drugs bind the bowels. 6. To protect or strengthen by a band or binding, as the edge of a carpet or garment. 7. To sew or fasten together, and inclose in a cover; as, to bind a book. 8. Fig.: To oblige, restrain, or hold, by authority, law, duty, promise, vow, affection, or other moral tie; as, to bind the conscience; to bind by kindness; bound by affection; commerce binds nations to each other. Who made our laws to bind us, not himself. --Milton. 9. (Law) (a) To bring (any one) under definite legal obligations; esp. under the obligation of a bond or covenant. --Abbott. (b) To place under legal obligation to serve; to indenture; as, to bind an apprentice; -- sometimes with out; as, bound out to service. To bind over, to put under bonds to do something, as to appear at court, to keep the peace, etc. To bind to, to contract; as, to bind one's self to a wife. To bind up in, to cause to be wholly engrossed with; to absorb in. Syn: To fetter; tie; fasten; restrain; restrict; oblige.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(binds, binding, bound) 1. If something binds people together, it makes them feel as if they are all part of the same group or have something in common. It is the memory and threat of persecution that binds them together. ...the social and political ties that bind the USA to Britain. ...a group of people bound together by shared language, culture, and beliefs. VERB: V pl-n together, V n prep/adv, V-ed, also V n 2. If you are bound by something such as a rule, agreement, or restriction, you are forced or required to act in a certain way. The Luxembourg-based satellite service is not bound by the same strict rules as the BBC... The authorities will be legally bound to arrest any suspects... The treaty binds them to respect their neighbour's independence. VERB: be V-ed by n, be V-ed to-inf, V n to-inf, also V n • bound Few of them feel bound by any enduring loyalties. ADJ: v-link ADJ by n 3. If you bind something or someone, you tie rope, string, tape, or other material around them so that they are held firmly. Bind the ends of the cord together with thread. ...the red tape which was used to bind the files... VERB: V n adv/prep, V n 4. When a book is bound, the pages are joined together and the cover is put on. Each volume is bound in bright-coloured cloth... Their business came from a few big publishers, all of whose books they bound. ...four immaculately bound hardbacks. VERB: be V-ed in n, V n, V-ed • -bound ...leather-bound stamp albums. COMB in ADJ 5. see also binding, bound, double bind

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

I. v. a. 1. Confine, restrain, restrict, put bonds upon. 2. Bandage, wrap, put a bandage round, wrap up, tie up. 3. Tie, fasten, secure. 4. Stitch and cover, put into a binding. 5. Engage, oblige, obligate, make responsible, lay under obligation. 6. Indenture, apprentice, place under indenture. 7. Confirm, ratify, sanction. 8. Put a border round. II. v. n. 1. Contract, harden, stiffen, shrink. 2. Make sheaves, tie sheaves. 3. Be obligatory, be binding, be valid, hold.

Moby Thesaurus

accept obligation, adjoin, afterthought, agglutinate, agree to, ally, anchor, annoyance, answer for, apply, apprentice, article, associate, attach, band, bandage, bar, be answerable for, be responsible for, be security for, befringe, belt, bend, bind over, bind up, block, block up, blockade, blockage, border, bore, bother, bound, brace, bracket, braze, bridle, bundle, bung, bureaucratic delay, caulk, cause, cause to, cement, chain, chink, choke, choke off, choke up, cinch, clog, clog up, clutch, commit, compel, complication, congest, connect, constipate, constrain, contract, cork, correlate, couple, cover, crunch, dam, dam up, delay, delayage, delayed reaction, detention, dilemma, do up, double take, dragging, draw a parallel, drive, edge, embarrassing position, embarrassment, enchain, encircle, enforce, enframe, engage, entrammel, equate, fasten, fetter, fill, fill up, fine how-do-you-do, fix, force, foul, frame, fringe, fuse, gird, girdle, girt, girth, glue, go bail for, gum, gyve, halt, hamper, handcuff, hang-up, have, have an understanding, hell to pay, hem, hindrance, hobble, hog-tie, hold, holdup, hopple, hot water, how-do-you-do, identify, imbroglio, impel, indenture, interim, interrelate, irritant, irritation, jam, lace, lag, lagging, lap, lash, leash, line, link, list, logjam, make, make fast, make imperative, make incumbent, manacle, march, marge, margin, marginate, mess, mix, moor, morass, moratorium, obligate, oblige, obstipate, obstruct, obstruction, ordeal, pack, paperasserie, parallel, parallelize, parlous straits, pass, paste, pause, peg down, picket, pickle, pin down, pinch, pinion, pledge, plight, plug, plug up, predicament, pretty pass, pretty pickle, pretty predicament, purfle, purl, put in irons, quagmire, quicksand, red tape, red-tapeism, red-tapery, relate, relativize, reprieve, require, respite, restrain, retardance, retardation, rim, rope, saddle with, scrape, secure, set off, shackle, shake hands on, side, skirt, slough, slow-up, slowdown, slowness, solder, spile, splice, spot, squeeze, stanch, stay, stay of execution, stench, stew, stick, stick together, sticky wicket, stop, stop up, stoppage, stopper, stopple, strait, straitjacket, straits, strap, stuff, stuff up, suspension, swaddle, swamp, swathe, take the vows, tether, tie, tie down, tie up, tie-up, tight spot, tight squeeze, tightrope, time lag, trammel, trial, tricky spot, trim, truss, undertake, unholy mess, use force upon, verge, vexation, wait, wed, weld, wire, wrap, wrap up, wreathe