Bind

Pronunciation

• IPA: /baɪnd/
• Rhymes: -aɪnd

From Middle English binden, from Old English bindan, from Proto-Germanic *bindaną (compare West Frisian bine, Dutch binden, Low German binnen, German binden, Danish binde), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰendʰ- ("to tie") (compare Welsh benn ("cart"), Latin offendīx ("knot, band"), Lithuanian beñdras ("partner"), Albanian bend ("servant,henchman"), bind ("to convince, persuade, tame"), Ancient Greek πεῖσμα (peisma, "cable, rope"), Sanskrit बध्नाति).

Full definition of bind

Verb

1. (intransitive) To tie; to confine by any ligature.
• unknown date ShakespeareThey that reap must sheaf and bind.
2. (intransitive) To cohere or stick together in a mass.''Just to make the cheese more binding
• unknown date Mortimerclay binds by heat.
3. (intransitive) To be restrained from motion, or from customary or natural action, as by friction.I wish I knew why the sewing machine binds up after I use it for a while.
4. (intransitive) To exert a binding or restraining influence.These are the ties that bind.''
5. (transitive) To tie or fasten tightly together, with a cord, band, ligature, chain, etc.to bind grain in bundles; to bind a prisoner.
6. (transitive) To confine, restrain, or hold by physical force or influence of any kind.Gravity binds the planets to the sun.Frost binds the earth.
• unknown date Job xxviii. 11.He bindeth the floods from overflowing.
• unknown date Luke xiii. 16.Whom Satan hath bound, lo, these eighteen years.
7. (transitive) To couple.
8. (figuratively) To oblige, restrain, or hold, by authority, law, duty, promise, vow, affection, or other social tie.to bind the conscience; to bind by kindness; bound by affection; commerce binds nations to each other.
• unknown date MiltonWho made our laws to bind us, not himself.
9. (legal) To put (a person) under definite legal obligations, especially, under the obligation of a bond or covenant.
10. (legal) To place under legal obligation to serve.to bind an apprentice; bound out to service
11. (transitive) To protect or strengthen by applying a band or binding, as the edge of a carpet or garment.
12. (transitive, archaic) To make fast (a thing) about or upon something, as by tying; to encircle with something.to bind a belt about oneto bind a compress upon a wound.
13. (transitive, archaic) To cover, as with a bandage.to bind up a wound.
14. (transitive, archaic) To prevent or restrain from customary or natural action.certain drugs bind the bowels.
15. (transitive) To put together in a cover, as of books.The three novels were bound together.
16. (transitive, computing) To associate an identifier with a value; to associate a variable name, method name, etc. with the content of a storage location.
• 2008, Bryan O'Sullivan, John Goerzen, Donald Bruce Stewart, Real World Haskell (page 33)We bind the variable n to the value

• 2009, Robert Pickering, Beginning F# (page 123)You can bind an identifier to an object of a derived type, as you did earlier when you bound a string to an identifier of type obj

Synonyms

• (transitive tie or fasten together) fetter, make fast, tie, fasten, restrain
• (transitive cover with a bandage) bandage, dress
• (transitive oblige) restrain, restrict, obligate
• (transitive, legal put under legal obligation)
• (transitive, legal place under obligation to serve) indenture

Derived terms

• bind over - to put under bonds to do something, as to appear at court, to keep the peace, etc.
• bind to - to contract; as, to bind one's self to a wife.
• bind up in - to cause to be wholly engrossed with; to absorb in.

Derived terms

• bindweed

From the above verb.

Noun

1. That which binds or ties.
2. A troublesome situation; a problem; a predicament or quandary.
3. Any twining or climbing plant or stem, especially a hop vine; a bine.
4. (music) A ligature or tie for grouping notes.
5. (chess) A strong grip or stranglehold on a position that is difficult for the opponent to break.the Maróczy Bind

Synonyms

Anagrams

• INBD