Main Entry: ¹bounce

Pronunciation: \ˈbau̇n(t)s\

Function: verb

Inflected Form(s): bounced; bounc·ing

Etymology: Middle English bounsen

Date: 13th century

transitive verb 1 obsolete : beat, bump
2 : to cause to rebound or be reflected <bounce a ball> <bounce a light ray off a reflector>
3 a : dismiss, fire b : to expel precipitately from a place c : to eliminate from a competition by defeating <was bounced from the tournament in the first round>
4 : to issue (a check) drawn on an account with insufficient funds
5 : to present (as an idea) to another person to elicit comments or to gain approval —usually used with offintransitive verb 1 : to rebound or reflect after striking a surface (as the ground)
2 : to recover from a blow or a defeat quickly —usually used with back
3 : to be returned by a bank because of insufficient funds in a checking account <his checks bounce>
4 a : to leap suddenly : bound b : to walk with springing steps
5 : to hit a baseball so that it hits the ground before it reaches an infielder