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Definition of bounce verb from the Oxford Advanced American Dictionary

     

    bounce

     verb
    verb
    NAmE//baʊns//
     
    Verb Forms present simple I / you / we / they bounce
     
    he / she / it bounces
     
    past simple bounced
     
    -ing form bouncing
     
     
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    move off surface
  1. 1[intransitive, transitive] if something bounces or you bounce it, it moves quickly away from a surface it has just hit or you make it do this The ball bounced twice before he could reach it. bounce off something Short sound waves bounce off even, small objects. The light bounced off the river and dazzled her. bounce something (against/on/off something) She bounced the ball against the wall.
    2. move up and down
  2. 2[intransitive] bounce (up and down) (on something) (of a person) to jump up and down on something She bounced up and down excitedly on the bed.
  3. 3[transitive] bounce somebody (up and down) (on something) to move a child up and down while he or she is sitting on your knee in order to entertain him or her
  4. 4[intransitive, transitive] bounce (something) (up and down) to move up and down; to move something up and down Her hair bounced as she walked.
  5. 5[intransitive] + adv./prep. to move up and down in a particular direction The bus bounced down the hill.
    6. move with energy
  6. 6[intransitive] + adv./prep. (of a person) to move somewhere in a lively and cheerful way He bounced across the room to greet them.
    7. check
  7. 7[intransitive, transitive] bounce (something) (informal) if a check bounces, or a bank bounces it, the bank refuses to accept it because there is not enough money in the account
    8. ideas
  8. 8[transitive] bounce ideas (off someone)/(around) to tell someone your ideas in order to find out what they think about them He bounced ideas off colleagues every chance he got.
    9. computing
  9. 9[intransitive, transitive] bounce (something) (back) if an e-mail bounces or the system bounces it, it returns to the person who sent it because the system cannot deliver it I tried to send her an e-mail, but it bounced. The system automatically bounces e-mails that contain attachments.
    10. make someone leave
  10. 10[transitive] bounce somebody (from something) (informal) to force someone to leave a job, team, place, etc. He was bounced from the team after testing positive for steroids.
    11. Idioms
    be bouncing off the walls (informal)
     
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    to be so full of energy or so excited that you cannot keep still The kids have been bouncing off the walls all day.     Phrasal Verbsbounce back
See bounce in the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary
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