From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishbindbind1 /baɪnd/ ●●○ verb (past tense and past participle bound /baʊnd/) 1 TIE/FASTENtie/fasten [transitive] written a) TIEto tie someone so that they cannot move or escape They bound my arms and legs with rope.bound and gagged (=tied up, and with cloth tied around your mouth so you cannot speak) b) (also bind up)TIE to tie things firmly together with cloth or string The pile of newspapers was bound with string.2 UNITEform a connection [transitive]UNITE to form a strong emotional or economic connection between two people, countries etc SYN unitebind somebody/something together Their shared experiences in war helped to bind the two communities together.3 RESTRICTmake somebody do something [transitive]LIMIT if you are bound by an agreement, promise etc, you must do what you have agreed to do or promised to dobe bound by something The monks are bound by vows of silence.be bound to do something Employees are not bound to give their reasons for leaving.Grammar Bind is usually passive in this meaning.4 STICK TOGETHERstick together [intransitive, transitive] technicalTOGETHER to stick together in a mass, or to make small pieces of something stick together The flour mixture isn’t wet enough to bind properly.bind with The hydrogen molecule binds with the oxygen molecule.5 BOOKbook [transitive]TCN to fasten the pages of a book together and put them in a cover → bound2(9)6 STITCHstitch [transitive]TIMD to sew cloth over the edge of a piece of material, or stitch over it, to strengthen it The edges of the blanket were bound with ribbon. → bind somebody over→ See Verb table
Examples from the Corpus
bind• The hostages had been bound and gagged and left in a corner of the room.• It was like being bound hand and foot to a torturer's chair.• The snakes multiplied, swarming over her, binding her more tightly to the chair.• Wires upon wires wove around him, binding him to his amplifiers.• Use 2 tablespoons of water to bind the flour and butter mixture.• The treaty binds the two countries to reduce the number of nuclear weapons.• He was found bound to a chair, barely alive.• The hydrogen molecule binds with the oxygen molecule.bound and gagged• He half expected to see some naked tourist in the corner, bound and gagged.• Time allowed 00:16 Read in studio Masked raiders have bound and gagged a shop manager before escaping with two thousand pounds cash.• Their bodies were weighted, bound and gagged, and dumped overboard.• Five of the occupants were bound and gagged by the robbers.• He bound and gagged me, held my arm, and we walked round the garden.• They bound and gagged two children and then forced one of them to take them to the money.• They were bound and gagged with masking tape.• Judge frees intruder who bound and gagged woman A KNIFE-wielding intruder who bound and gagged a woman walked free from court yesterday.bind somebody/something together• A common history binds people together.bindbind2 noun [singular] informal DIFFICULTANNOYan annoying or difficult situation It’s a real bind having to look after the children.in a bind Caroline was really in a bind.Examples from the Corpus
bind• But the pragmatists are in a bind.• Caroline was really in a bind.• This is not necessarily liberating: it may just be a double bind.• Thus is the reporter put in a classic double bind.• To his credit, he did feel terrible about the bind I was in and he did as much as he could.• FastLynx takes the bind out of file transfer.in a bind• Clearly, telephone companies are in a bind.• But the pragmatists are in a bind.• In my particular case, the airline was caught in a bind.• This leaves Giuliani in a bind.• Policyholders are left in a bind.• Caroline was really in a bind.• We used seven twists in binding on the phylacteries.From Longman Business Dictionarybindbind /baɪnd/ verb (past tense and past participle bound /baʊnd/, present participle binding) [transitive]LAW if a legal agreement binds someone, it makes them promise to do somethingIf a person signs a document which contains contract terms, he or she is bound by those terms.bind somebody to do somethingthe agreement with industry that binds companies to reduce the weight of packaging→ See Verb tableOrigin bind1 Old English bindan 