bind
bind
verb
/baɪnd/
tie with rope/cloth
1 transitive (formal) to tie somebody/something with rope, string, etc. so that they/it cannot move or are held together strongly
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).
The sails are bound to the mast with cord.
She found herself bound hand and foot.
Collocations Dictionary
adverb
tightly
loosely
together
preposition
to
with
phrases
bind and gag somebody
bind somebody hand and foot
2 ​transitive bind something (up) (formal) to tie a long thin piece of cloth around something
She bound up his wounds.
form united group
3 transitive to make people, organizations, etc. feel united 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
Collocations
adverb
contractually
legally
morally
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
Collocations
phrases
be beautifully bound
be handsomely bound
be richly bound
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.
Collocations
adverb
contractually
legally
morally
Idioms
bind/tie somebody hand and foot
Phrasal Verbs
bind over
bind
noun
/baɪnd/
singular (British English, informal)
​an annoying situation that is often difficult to avoid
SEE ALSO double bind
Word Origin
Old English bindan, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch and German binden, from an Indo-European root shared by Sanskrit bandh.