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REFERENCE

bind

v. · n.
US //ˈbaɪnd// UK //bˈaɪnd// bind
Irregular verb past bound past participle bound
  1. 1 to tie together (v.)
    B1 Intermediate

    to tie or fasten things together tightly using rope, string, or tape.

    to fasten or secure multiple objects together using a ligature or band. Transitive; requires a direct object.

    Example

    The workers used heavy rope to bind the logs together before moving them.

    Example

    The kidnappers used plastic zip ties to bind the victim's hands, ensuring they were tight enough to prevent any chance of escape.
  2. 2 legal or moral duty (v.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate Formal Law

    to force someone to do something because of a law, a promise, or a contract.

    to impose a legal or moral obligation upon a person or entity. Often used in the passive voice.

    Example

    The contract will bind both companies to the agreement for three years.

    Example

    The treaty is designed to bind all signatory nations to a strict schedule of carbon emission reductions over the next decade.
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  1. 3 to stick together (v.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate Science

    to make things stay together in a single mass, like ingredients in cooking.

    to cause separate particles or substances to cohere or form a unified mass through chemical or physical attraction.

    Example

    You can add an egg to the mixture to help the breadcrumbs bind to the meat.

    Example

    The researchers observed how the protein molecules bind to the surface of the cell, triggering a specific immune response.
  2. 4 bookmaking (v.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate

    to put the pages of a book together and fasten them inside a cover.

    to assemble and fasten the sheets of a book together within a protective cover.

    Example

    The local shop can bind your university thesis in a professional leather cover.

    Example

    The rare manuscript was bound in vellum during the sixteenth century, preserving the delicate parchment pages from environmental damage.
  3. 5 programming (v.)
    C1 Advanced Technical Computing

    to connect a name or a key to a specific value or action in a computer program.

    to associate an identifier with a value, or a symbolic name with a physical memory address or executable code.

    Example

    You can bind the 'jump' action to the spacebar in the game settings.

    Example

    The framework allows developers to bind UI components directly to data models, ensuring the interface updates automatically when the underlying data changes.
    • unbind
  4. 6 to complain (v.)
    C2 Proficiency British English Dialect

    to complain or whine about something in an annoying way.

    to grumble, complain, or whine persistently.

    Example

    Stop binding about the weather and just put on a coat.

    Example

    He spent the entire afternoon binding about the minor changes to the office layout, much to the annoyance of his colleagues.
  5. 7 difficult situation (n.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate Informal

    a difficult situation where it is hard to decide what to do.

    a difficult, restrictive, or embarrassing situation; a predicament.

    Example

    I'm in a bit of a bind because I promised to be in two places at once.

    Example

    The sudden cancellation of the flight put the legal team in a serious bind, as they were expected in court the following morning.
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