bound

1 of 7

adjective (1)

ˈbau̇nd 

1

a

: fastened by or as if by a band : confined

desk-bound

b

: very likely : sure

bound to rain soon

2

: placed under legal or moral restraint or obligation : obliged

duty-bound

3

of a book : secured to the covers by cords, tapes, or glue

leather-bound

4

: determined, resolved

was bound and determined to have his way

5

: held in chemical or physical combination

6

: made costive (see costive sense 1a) : constipated

7

: always occurring in combination with another linguistic form

un- in unknown and -er in speaker are bound forms

compare free entry 1 sense 11d

bound

2 of 7

past tense and past participle of bind

bound

3 of 7

adjective (2)

1

: intending to go : going

bound for home

college-bound

2

archaic : ready

bound

4 of 7

noun (1)

plural bounds

1

: leap, jump

cleared the hedge at a bound

2

: the action of rebounding : bounce

bound

5 of 7

verb (1)

bounded; bounding; bounds

intransitive verb

1

: to move by leaping

deer bounding across a field

She bounded down the stairs.

2

: rebound, bounce

a bounding rubber ball

bound

6 of 7

noun (2)

plural bounds

1

a

: a limiting line : boundary

—usually used in plural

The ball landed out of bounds.

b

: something that limits or restrains

beyond the bounds of decency

police officers overstepping their bound

2

usually bounds

a

: borderland

b

: the land within certain bounds

woodland bounds

3

mathematics : a number greater than or equal to every number in a set (such as the range of a function)

also : a number less than or equal to every number in a set

bound

7 of 7

verb

bounded; bounding; bounds

transitive verb

1

: to form a separating line or the boundary of : enclose

A chain-link fence bounds the yard.

The state is bounded on its east by the Connecticut River.

2

: to set limits to : confine

art … is always greater than the rules with which we may attempt to bound it

—C. S. Kilby

3

: to name the boundaries of

Students were asked to bound their state.

Synonyms

Adjective (1)

• bent (on or upon)
• decisive
• determined
• do-or-die
• firm
• hell-bent (on or upon)
• intent
• out
• purposeful
• resolute
• resolved
• set
• single-minded

Noun (1)

• hop
• jump
• leap
• spring
• vault

Verb (1)

• bounce
• hop
• lollop
• lope
• skip
• trip

Noun (2)

• boundary
• cap
• ceiling
• confines
• end
• extent
• limit
• limitation
• line
• termination

Verb

• circumscribe
• define
• delimit
• demarcate
• demark
• limit
• mark (off)
• terminate

Examples of bound in a Sentence

Adjective (1)

I am bound and determined to write a novel before I turn 30

Noun (1)

the kangaroo took one giant bound and was gone

Verb (1)

the child giggled and bounded off to play with her friends

a rabbit bounded down the garden path

Noun (2)

the language in the novel really is beyond the bounds of decency

colored outside the bounds of the drawing

Verb

the country is bounded by water on two sides

being bounded on all sides by the Alps has helped Switzerland maintain its neutrality

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Now he’s become a devoted pupil of Spagnuolo, adopting the old-school practice of writing down notes in a bound notebook during the defense’s initial virtual meetings this week. —Jeff Fedotin, Forbes.com, 22 Apr. 2025

Decoupling Economies Disconnecting markets as a result of a trade war can also remove an obstacle to conflict, in that closely bound economies may be less likely to go to war because of the risk of damage that either would face. —Josh Hammer, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Apr. 2025

Noun

While the Pacers were trying to foul, Gary Trent Jr. (who was having a good finish otherwise) let the ball slip through his hands and out of bounds. —Zach Harper, New York Times, 30 Apr. 2025

Trent couldn’t control an errant pass and lost the ball out of bounds with 10.8 seconds left. —Michael Marot, Baltimore Sun, 30 Apr. 2025

Verb

The now-viral clip shared the moment Minnie was gleefully bounding around the backyard as hail pelts the ground—and occasionally, her back. —Alice Gibbs, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 May 2025

But given that the inner bay is bounded by roadways with runoff and home to a handful of Department of Environmental Protection sewage outlets, the problem is hard to pin on any one source. —Evan Simko-Bednarski, New York Daily News, 27 Apr. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Adjective (1)

Middle English bounden, from past participle of binden to bind

Adjective (2)

Middle English boun, from Old Norse būinn, past participle of būa to dwell, prepare; akin to Old High German būan to dwell — more at bower

Noun (1) and Verb (1)

Middle French bond, from bondir to leap, from Vulgar Latin *bombitire to hum, from Latin bombus deep hollow sound — more at bomb entry 1

Noun (2) and Verb

Middle English, from Anglo-French bounde, bodne, from Medieval Latin bodina

First Known Use

Adjective (1)

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Adjective (2)

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Noun (1)

circa 1556, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb (1)

1593, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (2)

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Phrases Containing bound

• bound and determined
• bound and gagged
• bound to say
• bound up
• duty bound
• half-bound
• homeward bound
• honor bound
• I'll be bound
• muscle-bound
• outward-bound
• pot bound
• quarter-bound
• root bound
• spiral-bound
• three-quarter-bound
• weather-bound

Rhymes for bound

• browned
• crowned
• downed
• drowned
• found
• frowned
• gowned
• ground
• hound
• mound
• round
• sound

Kids Definition

bound

1 of 7 adjective

ˈbau̇nd 

: going or intending to go

bound for home

college-bound

bound

2 of 7 noun

1

: a boundary line

2

: a point or line beyond which one cannot go : limit

out of bounds

3

: the land within a boundary

—usually used in plural

bound

3 of 7 verb

1

: to set limits to : confine

2

a

: to form the boundary of : enclose

b

: to lie next to

3

: to name the boundaries of

bound

4 of 7

past and past participle of bind

bound

5 of 7 adjective

1

: fastened by or as if by bands : confined

desk-bound

2

: required by law or duty

3

: having a binding

bound notebook

4

: firmly determined

we were bound we would succeed

5

: very likely to do something : certain, sure

6

: always found in combination with another word or word part (as un- in unknown and -er in speaker)

bound

6 of 7 noun

1

: a long easy leap

2

: bounce entry 2 sense 1b, rebound

bound

7 of 7 verb

1

: to move by leaping

2

: rebound entry 1 sense 1, bounce

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English boun "ready"; of Norse origin

Noun

Middle English bound "boundary," from early French bodne (same meaning), from Latin bodina "boundary"

Adjective

Middle English bounden "fastened, tied," from binden "bind"

Noun

from early French bond "a leap," from bondir "to leap"

Medical Definition

bound

adjective

ˈbau̇nd 

1

: made costive : constipated

2

: held in chemical or physical combination

bound water in a molecule

Legal Definition

bound

1 of 4 noun

1

: boundary

—usually used in pl.

metes and bounds

2

: something that limits or restrains

within the bounds of the law

bound

2 of 4

past and past participle of bind

bound

3 of 4 transitive verb

: to form the boundary of or enclose

property bounded on the north by a stone wall

bound

4 of 4 adjective

: placed under a legal or moral restraint or obligation