bind
- 01 B1 Intermediate
v.to tie or fasten things together tightly using rope, string, or tape.
v.to fasten or secure multiple objects together using a ligature or band. Transitive; requires a direct object.
Simple“The workers used heavy rope to bind the logs together before moving them.”
In context“The kidnappers used plastic zip ties to bind the victim's hands, ensuring they were tight enough to prevent any chance of escape.”
- 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
v.to force someone to do something because of a law, a promise, or a contract.
v.to impose a legal or moral obligation upon a person or entity. Often used in the passive voice.
Simple“The contract will bind both companies to the agreement for three years.”
In context“The treaty is designed to bind all signatory nations to a strict schedule of carbon emission reductions over the next decade.”
- 03 B2 Upper Intermediate
v.to make things stay together in a single mass, like ingredients in cooking.
v.to cause separate particles or substances to cohere or form a unified mass through chemical or physical attraction.
Simple“You can add an egg to the mixture to help the breadcrumbs bind to the meat.”
In context“The researchers observed how the protein molecules bind to the surface of the cell, triggering a specific immune response.”
- 04 B2 Upper Intermediate
v.to put the pages of a book together and fasten them inside a cover.
v.to assemble and fasten the sheets of a book together within a protective cover.
Simple“The local shop can bind your university thesis in a professional leather cover.”
In context“The rare manuscript was bound in vellum during the sixteenth century, preserving the delicate parchment pages from environmental damage.”
- 05 C1 Advanced
v.to connect a name or a key to a specific value or action in a computer program.
v.to associate an identifier with a value, or a symbolic name with a physical memory address or executable code.
Simple“You can bind the 'jump' action to the spacebar in the game settings.”
In context“The framework allows developers to bind UI components directly to data models, ensuring the interface updates automatically when the underlying data changes.”
- 06 C2 Proficiency
v.to complain or whine about something in an annoying way.
v.to grumble, complain, or whine persistently.
Simple“Stop binding about the weather and just put on a coat.”
In context“He spent the entire afternoon binding about the minor changes to the office layout, much to the annoyance of his colleagues.”
- 07 B2 Upper Intermediate
n.a difficult situation where it is hard to decide what to do.
n.a difficult, restrictive, or embarrassing situation; a predicament.
Simple“I'm in a bit of a bind because I promised to be in two places at once.”
In context“The sudden cancellation of the flight put the legal team in a serious bind, as they were expected in court the following morning.”
Synonyms
“Ties to parents and siblings are often expected to be permanent and unconditional, reinforced by cultural norms and laws that bind parents and children to one another, even when children become adults.”
“This negatively charged electron and the positively charged "hole" it leaves behind can bind together through their Coulomb attraction.”