English
bind
Pronunciation Verb

bind (binds, present participle binding; past bound, past participle bound)

  1. (intransitive) To tie; to confine by any ligature.
    • c. 1598–1600, William Shakespeare, “As You Like It”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies: Published According to the True Originall Copies (First Folio), London: Printed by Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, OCLC 606515358 ↗, [Act III, scene ii]:
      They that reap must sheaf and bind.
  2. (intransitive) To cohere or stick together in a mass.
    Just to make the cheese more binding
    • clay binds by heat.
  3. (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.
  4. (intransitive) To exert a binding or restraining influence.
    These are the ties that bind.
  5. (transitive) To tie or fasten tightly together, with a cord, band, ligature, chain, etc.
    to bind grain in bundles  to bind a prisoner
    Synonyms: fetter, make fast, tie, fasten, restrain
  6. (transitive) To confine, restrain, or hold by physical force or influence of any kind.
    Gravity binds the planets to the sun.
    Frost binds the earth.
    • 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), imprinted at London: By Robert Barker, […], OCLC 964384981 ↗, Job 28:11 ↗:
      He bindeth the flouds from ouerflowing, and the thing that is hid, bringeth he foorth to light.
    • 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), imprinted at London: By Robert Barker, […], OCLC 964384981 ↗, Luke 13:16 ↗:
      And ought not this woman being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan hath bound, loe these eighteene yeeres, be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath day?
  7. (transitive) To couple.
  8. (figuratively) To oblige, restrain, or hold, by authority, law, duty, promise, vow, affection, or other social tie.
    to bind the conscience  to bind by kindness  bound by affection  commerce binds nations to each other
    • c. 1596, William Shakespeare, “The Life and Death of King Iohn”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies: Published According to the True Originall Copies (First Folio), London: Printed by Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, OCLC 606515358 ↗, [Act III, scene iii], page 11 ↗, column 2:
      I am much bounden to your Maieſty.
    • 1671, John Milton, “Samson Agonistes, […]”, in Paradise Regain’d. A Poem. In IV Books. To which is Added, Samson Agonistes, London: Printed by J. M[acock] for John Starkey […], OCLC 228732398 ↗, line 310, [https://archive.org/stream/paradiseregaindp00milt_0#page/{}/mode/1up page 25]:
      Who made our Laws to bind us, not himſelf,
    Synonyms: restrain, restrict, obligate
  9. (law) To put (a person) under definite legal obligations, especially, under the obligation of a bond or covenant.
  10. (law) To place under legal obligation to serve.
    to bind an apprentice  bound out to service
    Synonyms: indenture
  11. (transitive) To protect or strengthen by applying a band or binding, as the edge of a carpet or garment.
  12. (transitive, archaic) To make fast (a thing) about or upon something, as by tying; to encircle with something.
    to bind a belt about one  to bind a compress upon a wound
  13. (transitive) To cover, as with a bandage.
    to bind up a wound
    Synonyms: bandage, dress
  14. (transitive, archaic) To prevent or restrain from customary or natural action, as by producing constipation.
    Certain drugs bind the bowels.
  15. (transitive) To put together in a cover, as of books.
    The three novels were bound together.
  16. (transitive, chemistry) To make two or more elements stick together.
  17. (transitive, computer programming) To associate an identifier with a value; to associate a variable name, method name, etc. with the content of a storage location.
    • 2008, Bryan O'Sullivan, John Goerzen, Donald Bruce Stewart, Real World Haskell (page 33)
      We bind the variable n to the value 2, and xs to "abcd".
  18. (UK, dialect) To complain; to whine about something.
Translations Translations Translations Translations Noun

bind (plural binds)

  1. That which binds or ties.
  2. A troublesome situation; a problem; a predicament or quandary.
    Synonyms: Thesaurus:difficult situation
  3. Any twining or climbing plant or stem, especially a hop vine; a bine.
  4. (music) A ligature or tie for grouping notes.
  5. (chess) A strong grip or stranglehold on a position that is difficult for the opponent to break.
    the Maróczy Bind
  6. The indurated clay of coal mines.


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