bond

noun

Save Word

\ ˈbänd

Definition of bond

(Entry 1 of 3)

1 : something that binds or restrains : fetter prisoners freed from their bonds the bonds of oppression

2 : a binding agreement : covenant united in the bonds of holy matrimony My word is my bond.

3a : a band or cord used to tie something

b : a material (such as timber or brick) or device for binding

c chemistry : an attractive force that holds together the atoms, ions, or groups of atoms in a molecule or crystal chemical bonds

d : an adhesive, cementing material, or fusible ingredient that combines, unites, or strengthens

4 : a uniting or binding element or force : tie the bonds of friendship

5a : an obligation made binding by a forfeit of money also : the amount of the money guarantee I have sworn an oath, that I will have my bond — Shakespeare The accused was released on $40,000 bond.

b : one who provides bail or acts as surety (see surety sense 3)

c finance : an interest-bearing certificate of public or private indebtedness money that she had invested in stocks and bonds

d : an insurance agreement pledging that one will become legally liable for financial loss caused to another by the act or default of a third person or by some contingency over which the third person may have no control

6 masonry : the systematic lapping (see lap entry 2 sense 4a) of brick in a wall

7 : the state of goods made, stored, or transported under the care of an agency until the duties or taxes on them are paid you may leave … tobacco in bond with customs— Richard Joseph

8 alcohol : a 100-proof straight whiskey aged at least four years under government supervision before being bottled

— called also bonded whiskey

9 : bond paper

bond

verb

bonded; bonding; bonds

Definition of bond (Entry 2 of 3)

transitive verb

1 masonry : to lap (a building material, such as brick) for solidity of construction

2a : to secure payment of duties and taxes on (goods) by giving a bond (see bond entry 1 sense 5a) warehouses for bonding tobacco

b : to convert into a debt secured by bonds (see bond entry 1 sense 5a)

c insurance : to provide a bond (see bond entry 1 sense 5d) for or cause to provide such a bond bond an employee

3a : to cause to adhere firmly Heat is used to bond the plastic sheets together.

b : to embed in a matrix (see matrix sense 3b) abrasive material bonded in a resinous binder

c chemistry : to hold together in a molecule or crystal by chemical bonds (see bond entry 1 sense 3c)

intransitive verb

1 : to hold together or solidify by or as if by means of a bond (see bond entry 1) or binder (see binder sense 3) The glue didn't bond to the glass.

2 : to form a close relationship especially through frequent association the new mother bonded with her child The retreat was a great bonding experience for the team.

bond

adjective

Definition of bond (Entry 3 of 3)

archaic

: bound in slavery

Other Words from bond Synonyms More Example Sentences Phrases Containing bond Learn More About bond

Examples of bond in a Sentence

Noun a daughter's bond with her mother Recent events have helped to strengthen the bonds between our two countries. My roommate and I share a common bond because we both grew up in the Midwest. She has invested most of her money in stocks and bonds. Verb Heat was used to bond the sheets of plastic together. The poster was bonded to the wall with glue. See More

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun Dabate, who is free on a $1 million bond, is charged with killing his wife, Connie Dabate, in their Ellington home just before Christmas in 2015, staging a home invasion and lying to police. — Taylor Hartz, Hartford Courant, 6 May 2022 He is currently being held on a $500,000 bond each for the two charges of murder and tampering with evidence. — Tristan Balagtas, PEOPLE.com, 6 May 2022 Smith is free on a $20,000 bond and their cases are transferred to the DC federal district court. — Laura Johnston, cleveland, 5 May 2022 Taylor surrendered to authorities on Wednesday and since has been released on bond. — Carol Robinson | Crobinson@al.com, al, 5 May 2022 He was released on $100,000 bond pending his trial Dec. 13. — Andrew Wolfson, The Courier-Journal, 5 May 2022 Rocky was quickly released on bond and the guns found in his house were deemed legal. — Kai Grady, Los Angeles Times, 5 May 2022 Lee is being held on $30,000 bond, according to the release. — Elise Brisco, USA TODAY, 4 May 2022 He is being held on a $1 million bond and is set to appear in court on May 9. — Angela Cordoba Perez, The Arizona Republic, 4 May 2022 Recent Examples on the Web: Verb According to a report from the Utah Avalanche Center, snow at this site accumulated over facets (angular grains that do not bond well with other snow) from late January through early February, burying the facets about two feet below the surface. — Alan Arnette, Outside Online, 8 Apr. 2022 Audiences were first introduced to Charles, Oliver and Mabel as three strangers who bond over their obsession with true crime. — Karen Mizoguchi, PEOPLE.com, 27 Mar. 2022 Rajiv Joseph's comedy about two men who bond through their Cleveland Cavaliers fandom. — Jim Higgins, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 23 Mar. 2022 They are often used in crafting projects since hot glue can bond more quickly and strongly than regular glue. — Kate Gibson, CBS News, 15 Apr. 2022 Players were able to bond early in the summer while touring the state to host youth basketball camps. — Jon Hale, The Courier-Journal, 5 Nov. 2021 The Sheths were glad to be able to bond on the streets of Detroit. — Wright Wilson, Detroit Free Press, 17 Oct. 2021 While parents have become more able to bond with their newborns over the years, the people working there have become closer too. — Melinda Moore, chicagotribune.com, 17 Mar. 2022 The infants that had their mother’s scent present, versus those exposed to a clean t-shirt, were able to bond with the new adult more easily, a finding that may help parents share child-rearing duties. — Corryn Wetzel, Smithsonian Magazine, 10 Dec. 2021 See More

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'bond.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

History and Etymology for bond

Noun and Verb

Middle English band, bond — more at band

Adjective

Middle English bonde, from bonde customary tenant, from Old English bōnda householder, from Old Norse bōndi

Learn More About bond

Dictionary Entries Near bond

bonce

bond

bondage

Statistics for bond

Last Updated

11 May 2022

Cite this Entry

“Bond.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bond. Accessed 19 May. 2022.

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More Definitions for bond

bond

noun

\ ˈbänd

Kids Definition of bond

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : something that binds

2 : the condition of being held together The glue forms a strong bond.

3 : a force or influence that brings or holds together a bond of friendship

4 : a chain or rope used to prevent someone from moving or acting freely

5 : a promise to do something My word is my bond.

6 : a legal agreement in which a person agrees to pay a sum of money if he or she fails to do a certain thing

7 : a government or business certificate promising to pay a certain sum by a certain day

bond

verb

bonded; bonding

Kids Definition of bond (Entry 2 of 2)

1 : to stick or cause to stick together

2 : to form a close relationship The girls quickly bonded.

bond

noun

\ ˈbänd

Medical Definition of bond

: an attractive force that holds together atoms, ions, or groups of atoms in a molecule or crystal —usually represented in formulas by a line

bond

noun

Legal Definition of bond

(Entry 1 of 2)

1a : a usually formal written agreement by which a person undertakes to perform a certain act (as appear in court or fulfill the obligations of a contract) or abstain from performing an act (as committing a crime) with the condition that failure to perform or abstain will obligate the person or often a surety to pay a sum of money or will result in the forfeiture of money put up by the person or surety also : the money put up

Note: The purpose of a bond is to provide an incentive for the fulfillment of an obligation. It also provides reassurance that the obligation will be fulfilled and that compensation is available if it is not fulfilled. In most cases a surety is involved, and the bond makes the surety responsible for the consequences of the obligated person's behavior. Some bonds, such as fidelity bonds, function as insurance agreements, in which the surety promises to pay for financial loss caused by the bad behavior of an obligated person or by some contingency over which the person may have no control.

— appeal bond

: a cost bond required by a rule of procedure to be given by an appellant in order to cover the costs of an appeal

— appearance bond

: an often unsecured bond given by a defendant in a criminal trial to guarantee the defendant's appearance in court as scheduled

— attachment bond

1 : a bond given by a plaintiff seeking to attach the defendant's property that ensures payment to the defendant of any damages suffered because of the attachment in the event the plaintiff loses the suit

2 : a bond given by a defendant in order to have an attachment released that ensures payment of a judgment awarded to the plaintiff

— bail bond

: a bond given by a criminal defendant or by his or her surety to ensure compliance with the terms of bail and especially with the requirement that the defendant appear in court as scheduled

— bid bond

: a surety bond often required of contractors bidding on construction work to ensure that the successful bidder will accept the job and will also provide a performance bond

— blanket bond

: a fidelity bond covering all persons or all of a category of persons employed (as by a bank) or holding office (as of a trustee in bankruptcy)

— completion bond

: performance bond in this entry

— contract bond

: a bond given to protect a person or business entity against loss caused by a breach of a contract (as for building, construction, or supply)

— cost bond

: a bond given by a plaintiff to ensure payment of court costs

— depository bond

: a bond given by a bank often for deposits from state or municipal governments that covers the amount of the deposit in the event of the bank's insolvency

— fidelity bond

: a bond or other form of contract to cover an employer or government entity against financial loss due to the dishonesty of an employee or other trusted person

— injunction bond

: a bond required to be given by the applicant for an injunction to cover costs and damages incurred by a party found to have been wrongfully enjoined

— judicial bond

: a bond (as an appeal bond or bail bond) required to be given in a court proceeding

— license bond

: a surety bond required by law or as a condition to the conduct of a specific business or profession

— called also permit bond

— payment bond

: a surety bond that covers payment to certain parties (as suppliers) in the event that a contractor breaches a construction contract

— peace bond

: a bond required to be given by a defendant to ensure good behavior and discourage breaches of the peace

— penal bond

: a bond that ensures payment of a stipulated sum in the event of a party's nonperformance and that is often required for government contracts

— performance bond

: a surety bond that ensures a property owner (as a developer or municipality) of the completion of a construction contract or payment of actual damages to the extent of the bond in the event that the contractor fails to complete it

— called also completion bond

— permit bond

: license bond in this entry

— personal bond

: a criminal defendant's unsecured promise to appear in court as scheduled after release from custody

— replevin bond

: a bond given by a plaintiff in a replevin action to cover losses to the defendant or court officer seizing the property in the defendant's possession and transferring it to the plaintiff in the event that the plaintiff loses the case

— supersedeas bond

: a bond given by an appellant in order to obtain a stay of the judgment awarded at trial and for the purpose of ensuring that if the appellant loses the appeal the appellee will be paid the judgment plus any damages incident to the delay caused by the appeal

— surety bond

: a bond in which a surety agrees to assume responsibility for the performance of an obligation of another in the event of a default

b : one who acts as a surety

2 : an interest-bearing document giving evidence of a debt issued by a government body or corporation that is sometimes secured by a lien on property and is often designed to take care of a particular financial need — see also collateralized mortgage obligation

— accrual bond

: a bond that is usually the last tranche of a collateralized mortgage obligation and from which no payments of principal or interest are made until the earlier tranches are paid in full

— called also Z-bond

— adjustment bond

: a bond that is issued in settlement of a prior obligation as part of a business reorganization and on which interest payments are usually contingent upon earnings

— baby bond

: a bond having a face value of usually $500 or less

— bearer bond

: a fully negotiable bond payable to its bearer — compare registered bond in this entry

— book-entry bond

: a bond whose ownership is recorded by computer but for which no certificate is issued

— convertible bond

: a bond that may be exchanged for another type of security (as common stock) at prearranged terms

— coupon bond

: a bearer bond that has coupons that must be cut off and presented for payment of interest

— debenture bond

: a bond backed by the general credit of the issuer rather than by a specific lien on particular assets : debenture

— discount bond

: a bond with a market value lower than its face value

— flower bond

: a Treasury bond that may be redeemed at face value before maturity if used in settling federal estate taxes

— guaranteed bond

: a bond on which payment of interest or principal or both is guaranteed by a corporation other than the issuer

— income bond

: a bond that pays interest at a rate based on the issuer's earnings

— junk bond

: a high-risk bond that offers a high yield and is often issued to finance the takeover of a company

— mortgage bond

: a bond secured by a mortgage on property — compare debenture

— municipal bond

: a bond issued by a municipality to fund the expenses of running the government or of specific programs or projects

— registered bond

: a bond registered in the name of the holder on the books of the company and issued with the name of the holder written on the bond certificate — compare bearer bond in this entry

— revenue bond

: a bond issued by a public agency authorized to build, acquire, or improve a revenue-producing property (as a toll road) and payable solely out of the revenue derived from such property

— savings bond

: a nontransferable registered bond issued by the U.S. government in denominations of $50 to $10,000

— serial bond

: one of a series of bonds maturing periodically rather than on a single maturity date

— Treasury bond

: a long-term government bond issued by or under the authority of the U.S. Treasury — compare Treasury bill at bill, Treasury note at note

— zero-coupon bond

: a bond that is sold at a price significantly below face value, pays no annual interest, and is redeemable at full value at maturity — compare strip

bond

transitive verb

Legal Definition of bond (Entry 2 of 2)

1 : to convert into a debt secured by bonds