bind
bind Lexical Profile
bind Game Scores & Validity
• verb
To tie or fasten tightly together with a cord, rope, or strap, or to wrap a wound in a protective bandage.
"They used heavy twine to bind the old newspapers into neat stacks for recycling."
To impose a legal, contractual, or moral obligation upon someone.
"Signing the non-disclosure agreement will legally bind you to keep the company's trade secrets confidential."
To unite people or groups closely through shared experiences, beliefs, or emotions.
"Overcoming the difficult expedition helped bind the members of the crew together in lifelong friendship."
To fasten the pages of a book together and enclose them within a protective cover, or to finish the raw edge of a garment with a decorative strip of fabric.
"The artisan was hired to bind the rare seventeenth-century manuscripts in fine calfskin leather."
To cohere or cause separate ingredients or particles to stick together in a solid, unified mass, or to become stuck or jammed mechanically.
"Add one beaten egg to the mixture to help bind the breadcrumbs and herbs together."
• noun
A problematic situation or predicament from which it is difficult to escape.
"The sudden budget cuts put the research department in a real bind."
British A tedious, annoying, or burdensome task or duty.
"Commuting for two hours every morning in heavy traffic is a complete bind."
Something used to tie, fasten, or secure things together, or a musical curved line connecting two notes of the same pitch.
"The violinist held the note across the bar line as indicated by the bind in the score."
• Rhymes for bind
Word Origin & Etymology
From Old English bindan ('to tie up with bonds'), originating from the Proto-Germanic *bindana and ultimately the Proto-Indo-European root *bhendh- ('to bind'), which also yielded the English words 'band', 'bond', and 'bundle'.
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.