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REFERENCE

bounce

v. · n.
US //ˈbaʊns// UK //bˈaʊns// bounce
  1. 1 to spring back (v.)
    A2 Elementary

    to hit a surface and move back in the opposite direction.

    to recoil or change direction after striking an obstacle or surface.

    Example

    The ball hit the wall and bounced right back into my hands.

    Example

    The tennis ball bounced unexpectedly high on the clay court, catching the seasoned professional off guard during the final set.
  2. 2 to move up and down (v.)
    A2 Elementary

    to move up and down quickly and repeatedly.

    to move with a series of vertical springs or leaps.

    Example

    The children were bouncing on the bed and laughing loudly.

    Example

    The small boat bounced rhythmically on the choppy waves as the storm began to move inland.
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  1. 3 to share an idea (v.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate Informal

    to tell someone an idea to see what they think of it.

    to present an idea or concept to another person to elicit feedback or evaluate its viability.

    Example

    Can I bounce a few ideas off you for the new project?

    Example

    The creative director preferred to bounce preliminary concepts off the junior staff to gauge how a younger demographic might respond to the campaign.

    Usage

    Usually used with the preposition 'off'.
  2. 4 bank refusal (v.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate Informal

    when a bank refuses to pay a check because there is not enough money in the account.

    to be returned by a financial institution due to insufficient funds; can be used transitively for the check or intransitively for the account holder.

    Example

    I forgot to transfer the money, so my rent check bounced.

    Example

    The supplier became irate when the second consecutive payment bounced, prompting them to suspend all future deliveries until the debt was settled in cash.
  3. 5 to leave (v.)
    C1 Advanced Slang

    to leave a place quickly or suddenly.

    to depart from a location, often abruptly or unceremoniously.

    Example

    This party is getting boring, let's bounce.

    Example

    After realizing the atmosphere at the club had turned hostile, the group decided it was time to bounce before any real trouble started.
  4. 6 to restart a device (v.)
    C1 Advanced Technical Computing

    to turn a machine off and then immediately back on again.

    to power-cycle a device or service to clear errors or apply updates.

    Example

    The server is acting slow, so I am going to bounce it tonight.

    Example

    The system administrator decided to bounce the database service during the maintenance window to resolve the persistent memory leak.
  5. 7 to combine audio tracks (v.)
    C1 Advanced Technical Music

    to mix several music tracks into one single track.

    to render or export multiple audio tracks into a single file or track to conserve processing power or simplify the mix.

    Example

    Once you finish the vocals, bounce the track so I can listen to it.

    Example

    The engineer had to bounce the drum stems to a single stereo file because the project was exceeding the hardware's processing limits.
  6. 8 the act of rebounding (n.)
    B1 Intermediate

    the act of hitting a surface and moving back.

    the physical instance or quality of rebounding from a surface.

    Example

    The ball has lost its bounce because it is too old.

    Example

    The pitch was criticized for its uneven bounce, which made it nearly impossible for the batsmen to predict the trajectory of the ball.
  7. 9 energy or style (n.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate Informal

    a feeling of energy, confidence, or a good rhythm in music.

    a quality of liveliness, resilience, or a specific rhythmic character in music.

    Example

    She walked with a happy bounce in her step.

    Example

    The new single has a great bounce that makes it perfect for the summer festival circuit.
    • lethargy
Origin

From Middle English bounsen, bunsen (“to beat, thump”), cognate with Scots bunce, bonce (“to bounce”). Of uncertain origin. Perhaps imitative, related to bump, or related to Middle English bonchen (“to pound, beat”) and Dutch bonken (“to bump”). Compare Saterland Frisian bumzje (“to pound, bang, bounce”), West Frisian bûnzje (“to throb, bounce, pulsate”), Dutch bonzen (“to thump, knock, throb, bounce”), German Low German bunsen, bumsen (“to beat, bounce”), German bumsen (“to thud, bang, pound”).

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