Crossword Dictionary

What's The Definition Of Bound?

\Bound\, n. [OE. bounde, bunne, OF. bonne, bonde, bodne, F. borne, fr. LL. bodina, bodena, bonna; prob. of Celtic origin; cf. Arm. bonn boundary, limit, and boden, bod, a tuft or cluster of trees, by which a boundary or limit could be marked. Cf. {Bourne}.] The external or limiting line, either real or imaginary, of any object or space; that which limits or restrains, or within which something is limited or restrained; limit; confine; extent; boundary. He hath compassed the waters with bounds. --Job xxvi. 10. On earth's remotest bounds. --Campbell. And mete the bounds of hate and love. --Tennyson. {To keep within bounds}, not to exceed or pass beyond assigned limits; to act with propriety or discretion. Syn: See {Boundary}.
\Bound\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Bounded}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Bounding}.] 1. To limit; to terminate; to fix the furthest point of extension of; -- said of natural or of moral objects; to lie along, or form, a boundary of; to inclose; to circumscribe; to restrain; to confine. Where full measure only bounds excess. --Milton. Phlegethon . . . Whose fiery flood the burning empire bounds. --Dryden. 2. To name the boundaries of; as, to bound France.
\Bound\, v. i. [F. bondir to leap, OF. bondir, bundir, to leap, resound, fr. L. bombitare to buzz, hum, fr. bombus a humming, buzzing. See {Bomb}.] 1. To move with a sudden spring or leap, or with a succession of springs or leaps; as the beast bounded from his den; the herd bounded across the plain. Before his lord the ready spaniel bounds. --Pope. And the waves bound beneath me as a steed That knows his rider. --Byron. 2. To rebound, as an elastic ball.
\Bound\, v. t. 1. To make to bound or leap; as, to bound a horse. [R.] --Shak. 2. To cause to rebound; to throw so that it will rebound; as, to bound a ball on the floor. [Collog.]
\Bound\, n. 1. A leap; an elastic spring; a jump. A bound of graceful hardihood. --Wordsworth. 2. Rebound; as, the bound of a ball. --Johnson. 3. (Dancing) Spring from one foot to the other.
\Bound\, imp. & p. p. of {Bind}.
\Bound\, p. p. & a. 1. Restrained by a hand, rope, chain, fetters, or the like. 2. Inclosed in a binding or cover; as, a bound volume. 3. Under legal or moral restraint or obligation. 4. Constrained or compelled; destined; certain; -- followed by the infinitive; as, he is bound to succeed; he is bound to fail. 5. Resolved; as, I am bound to do it. [Collog. U. S.] 6. Constipated; costive. Note: Used also in composition; as, icebound, windbound, hidebound, etc. {Bound bailiff} (Eng. Law), a sheriff's officer who serves writs, makes arrests, etc. The sheriff being answerable for the bailiff's misdemeanors, the bailiff is usually under bond for the faithful discharge of his trust. {Bound up in}, entirely devoted to; inseparable from.
\Bound\, a. [Past p. of OE. bounen to prepare, fr. boun ready, prepared, fr. Icel. b[=u]inn, p. p. of b[=u]a to dwell, prepare; akin to E. boor and bower. See {Bond}, a., and cf. {Busk}, v.] Ready or intending to go; on the way toward; going; -- with to or for, or with an adverb of motion; as, a ship is bound to Cadiz, or for Cadiz. ``The mariner bound homeward.'' --Cowper.