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Definition of bind verb from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

bind

verb
 
/baɪnd/
 
/baɪnd/
Verb Forms
present simple I / you / we / they bind
 
/baɪnd/
 
/baɪnd/
he / she / it binds
 
/baɪndz/
 
/baɪndz/
past simple bound
 
/baʊnd/
 
/baʊnd/
past participle bound
 
/baʊnd/
 
/baʊnd/
-ing form binding
 
/ˈbaɪndɪŋ/
 
/ˈbaɪndɪŋ/
Idioms Phrasal Verbs
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    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 The sails are bound to the mast with cord.
    • 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).
    Extra Examples
    • She found herself bound hand and foot.
    • She was bound to a chair.
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb
    • tightly
    • loosely
    • together
    preposition
    • to
    • with
    phrases
    • bind 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.
  3. form united group

  4. [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.
  5. make somebody do something

  6. [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 Dictionaryadverb
    • contractually
    • legally
    • morally
    See full entry
  7. stick together

  8. [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.
  9. book

  10. [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 Dictionaryphrases
    • be beautifully bound
    • be handsomely bound
    • be richly bound
    See full entry
  11. sew edge

  12. [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.
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb
    • contractually
    • legally
    • morally
    See full entry
  13. Word OriginOld English bindan, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch and German binden, from an Indo-European root shared by Sanskrit bandh.
Idioms
bind/tie somebody hand and foot
  1. to tie somebody’s hands and feet together so that they cannot move or escape
  2. to prevent somebody from doing what they want by creating rules, limits, etc.
See bind in the Oxford Advanced American DictionarySee bind in the Oxford Learner's Dictionary of Academic English
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