- 1[transitive] (formal) to tie somebody/something with rope, string, etc. so that they/it cannot move or are held together firmly bind somebody/something to something She was bound to a chair. bind somebody/something together They bound his hands together. bind somebody/something He was left bound and gagged (= tied up and with a piece of cloth tied over his mouth). Oxford Collocations Dictionary adverbtightly, loosely, together, … prepositionto, with phrasesbind and gag somebody, bind somebody hand and foot See full entry
- 2[transitive] bind something (up) (formal) to tie a long thin piece of cloth around something She bound up his wounds. unite
- 3[transitive] to unite people, organizations, etc. so that they live or work together more happily or effectively bind A (and B) (together) Organizations such as schools and clubs bind a community together. bind A to B She thought that having his child would bind him to her forever. make somebody do something
- 4[transitive, usually passive] to force somebody to do something by making them promise to do it or by making it their duty to do it bind somebody (to something) He had been bound to secrecy (= made to promise not to tell people about something). bind somebody to do something The agreement binds her to repay the debt within six months. see also binding, bound Oxford Collocations Dictionary adverbcontractually, legally, morally, … See full entry stick together
- 5[intransitive, transitive] to stick together or to make things stick together in a solid mass bind (together) Add an egg yolk to make the mixture bind. bind something (together) Add an egg yolk to bind the mixture together. book
- 6[transitive, usually passive] bind something (in something) to fasten the pages of a book together and put them inside a cover two volumes bound in leather Oxford Collocations Dictionary phrasesbe beautifully bound, be handsomely bound, be richly bound, … See full entry sew edge
- 7[transitive, often passive] bind something (with something) to sew a piece of material to the edge of something to decorate it or to make it stronger The blankets were bound with satin. Wordfindersewbaste, bind, embroidery, hem, lining, seam, sew, stitch, tack, thread Oxford Collocations Dictionary adverbcontractually, legally, morally, … See full entry Word OriginOld English bindan, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch and German binden, from an Indo-European root shared by Sanskrit bandh.Extra examples She found herself bound hand and foot. The sails are bound to the mast with cord. They bound his hands together tightly. He was left bound and gagged. Their hands were bound with ropes before they were led away.Idioms
- 1to tie somebody’s hands and feet together so that they cannot move or escape
- 2to prevent somebody from doing what they want by creating rules, restrictions, etc.
bind
verbBrE BrE//baɪnd//; NAmE NAmE//baɪnd//
Verb Forms present simple I / you / we / they bind BrE BrE//baɪnd//; NAmE NAmE//baɪnd//
he / she / it binds BrE BrE//baɪndz//; NAmE NAmE//baɪndz//
past simple bound BrE BrE//baʊnd//; NAmE NAmE//baʊnd//
past participle bound BrE BrE//baʊnd//; NAmE NAmE//baʊnd//
-ing form binding BrE BrE//ˈbaɪndɪŋ//; NAmE NAmE//ˈbaɪndɪŋ//
Check pronunciation: bind
