1
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 7past tense and past participle of bind
plural bounds
bounded; bounding; bounds
1
: to move by leaping
deer bounding across a field
She bounded down the stairs.
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
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
bounded; bounding; bounds
1
2
: to set limits to : confine
art … is always greater than the rules with which we may attempt to bound it—
C. S. Kilby
C. S. Kilby3
: 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)
Verb (1)
Noun (2)
Verb
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
Kelli Bender, People.com, 1 Nov. 2024
In a second, two civilians used as human shields sit bound and blindfolded.
—Mick Krever, CNN, 24 Oct. 2024
PCMAG, 7 Nov. 2024
The red-versus-blue divide is real, and grows by leaps and bounds every four years.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2024
Elias Leight, Billboard, 4 Nov. 2024
Most causes of bounding pulses are normal compensatory responses of the heart.
—Colleen Doherty, Verywell Health, 19 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for bound 
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Adjective
The couple had difficulty believing Nola could scale a fence in a single bound, mainly because the dog rarely jumped inside the house.
—Kelli Bender, People.com, 1 Nov. 2024
In a second, two civilians used as human shields sit bound and blindfolded.
—Mick Krever, CNN, 24 Oct. 2024
Noun
Beyond that, the M4 Pro Mac mini was (unsurprisingly) leaps and bounds beyond its M2 Pro predecessor in every test.
—PCMAG, 7 Nov. 2024
The red-versus-blue divide is real, and grows by leaps and bounds every four years.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2024
Verb
In the first verse, the drums march stiffly, while the bass is excitable like the cad Khan targets, popping rudely and bounding showily into the chorus.
—Elias Leight, Billboard, 4 Nov. 2024
Most causes of bounding pulses are normal compensatory responses of the heart.
—Colleen Doherty, Verywell Health, 19 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for bound
Dictionary Entries Near bound
Cite this Entry
“Bound.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bound. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
bound
1 of 7 adjective
: going or intending to go
bound for home
college-bound
bound
2 of 7 noun1
: 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
4 of 7past and past participle of bind
bound
5 of 7 adjective1
: 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
6
: always found in combination with another word or word part (as un- in unknown and -er in speaker)
bound
6 of 7 noun1
: a long easy leap
bound
7 of 7 verb1
: to move by leaping
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
adjective1
: made costive : constipated
2
: held in chemical or physical combination
bound water in a molecule
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