to tie or hold something tightly with rope, string, or another material so it cannot move
She used a scarf to bind the newspapers into a neat bundle.
The firefighter quickly bound the victim’s arm to stop the bleeding.
✦ Old English "bindan", of Germanic origin, related to Dutch "binden" and German "binden", meaning “to tie”.
a difficult situation that is hard to get out of
I’m in a real bind—my car broke down and the taxis are on strike.
Missing the last train put us in a bind.
to make someone legally or morally required to do something
The contract binds both parties to finish the work by July.
He felt bound by his promise to help his friend move.
to fasten the pages of a book together and attach a cover
The printer will bind the reports before tomorrow's meeting.
She learned how to bind her own notebooks in art class.
a sturdy folder with rings or clips that hold loose sheets of paper together so they stay organized
I keep all my class notes in a blue binder.
Please put the handouts into your binder so you don’t lose them.
✦ From bind + -er, meaning “that which binds”. Originally applied to people who bound books, later to objects that hold things together.
past tense and past participle of bind
The gardener bound the branches together with soft twine.
She bound her notebook with a red ribbon before giving it as a gift.
✦ From Old English bindan (“to tie”). Past tense and past participle originally represented by "bounden", later shortened to “bound”.
