binding

[bahyn-ding] /ˈbaɪn dɪŋ/
noun
1.
the act of fastening, securing, uniting, or the like.
2.
anything that binds.
3.
the covering within which the leaves of a book are bound.
4.
a strip of material that protects or decorates the edge of a tablecloth, rug, etc.
5.
Skiing. a mechanical device on a ski, usually made of metal, that fastens the boot securely to the ski.
adjective
6.
that binds; restrictive.
7.
having power to bind or oblige; obligatory:
a binding promise.
Origin
1200-50; Middle English; see bind, -ing1, -ing2
Related forms
bindingly, adverb
bindingness, noun
nonbinding, adjective
nonbindingly, adverb
nonbindingness, noun

bind

[bahynd] /baɪnd/
verb (used with object), bound, binding.
1.
to fasten or secure with a band or bond.
2.
to encircle with a band or ligature:
She bound her hair with a ribbon.
3.
to swathe or bandage (often followed by up):
to bind up one's wounds.
4.
to fasten around; fix in place by girding:
They bound his hands behind him.
5.
to tie up (anything, as sheaves of grain).
6.
to cause to cohere:
Ice bound the soil.
7.
to unite by any legal or moral tie:
to be bound by a contract.
8.
to hold to a particular state, place, employment, etc.:
Business kept him bound to the city.
9.
to place under obligation or compulsion (usually used passively):
We are bound by good sense to obey the country's laws.
10.
Law. to put under legal obligation, as to keep the peace or appear as a witness (often followed by over):
This action binds them to keep the peace. He was bound over to the grand jury.
11.
to make compulsory or obligatory:
to bind the order with a deposit.
12.
to fasten or secure within a cover, as a book:
They will bind the new book in leather.
13.
to cover the edge of, as for protection or ornament:
to bind a carpet.
14.
(of clothing) to chafe or restrict (the wearer):
This shirt binds me under the arms.
15.
Medicine/Medical. to hinder or restrain (the bowels) from their natural operations; constipate.
16.
to indenture as an apprentice (often followed by out):
In his youth his father bound him to a blacksmith.
verb (used without object), bound, binding.
17.
to become compact or solid; cohere.
18.
to be obligatory:
an obligation that binds.
19.
to chafe or restrict, as poorly fitting garments:
This jacket binds through the shoulders.
20.
to stick fast, as a drill in a hole.
21.
Falconry. (of a hawk) to grapple or grasp prey firmly in flight.
noun
22.
the act or process of binding; the state or instance of being bound.
23.
something that binds.
24.
Music. a tie, slur, or brace.
25.
Falconry. the act of binding.
26.
Informal. a difficult situation or predicament:
This schedule has us in a bind.
Verb phrases
27.
bind off, Textiles. to loop (one stitch) over another in making an edge on knitted fabric.
Origin
before 1000; Middle English binden (v.), Old English bindan; cognate with Old High German bintan, Old Norse binda, Gothic bindan, Sanskrit bandhati (he) binds
Related forms
bindable, adjective
misbind, verb, misbound, misbinding.
rebind, verb, rebound, rebinding.
Can be confused
bind, bound.
Synonyms
1. gird, attach, tie. 2. confine, restrain. 9. engage, oblige, obligate.
Antonyms
1. untie.
Examples from the web for binding
  • It is a critical decision since it is almost always binding.
  • binding depends on a good fit of molecular shape and the presence of groups that interact chemically to stabilize binding.
  • Changing the direction you apply tension will change the binding order.
  • The rule of cause and effect is as binding in politics as in every other science.
  • They should make a legally binding commitment to buy a vaccine, if and when one is invented.
  • The elastic binding on each strap expands to accommodate tired feet.
  • Instead of fighting the city on the facility sites, fight for a model shelter program and a binding contract with the city.
  • Political freedom or the rule of law are not the binding factors.
  • Geography that is now binding them together in a new way: oil.
  • One is the binding site that fits the benzodiazepine drugs and some other compounds.
British Dictionary definitions for binding

binding

/ˈbaɪndɪŋ/
noun
1.
anything that binds or fastens
2.
the covering within which the pages of a book are bound
3.
the material or tape used for binding hems, etc
adjective
4.
imposing an obligation or duty: a binding promise
5.
causing hindrance; restrictive

bind

/baɪnd/
verb binds, binding, bound
1.
to make or become fast or secure with or as if with a tie or band
2.
(transitive) often foll by up. to encircle or enclose with a band: to bind the hair
3.
(transitive) to place (someone) under obligation; oblige
4.
(transitive) to impose legal obligations or duties upon (a person or party to an agreement)
5.
(transitive) to make (a bargain, agreement, etc) irrevocable; seal
6.
(transitive) to restrain or confine with or as if with ties, as of responsibility or loyalty
7.
(transitive) to place under certain constraints; govern
8.
(transitive) often foll by up. to bandage or swathe: to bind a wound
9.
to cohere or stick or cause to cohere or stick: egg binds fat and flour
10.
to make or become compact, stiff, or hard: frost binds the earth
11.
  1. (transitive) to enclose and fasten (the pages of a book) between covers
  2. (intransitive) (of a book) to undergo this process
12.
(transitive) to provide (a garment, hem, etc) with a border or edging, as for decoration or to prevent fraying
13.
(transitive; sometimes foll by out or over) to employ as an apprentice; indenture
14.
(intransitive) (slang) to complain
15.
(transitive) (logic) to bring (a variable) into the scope of an appropriate quantifier See also bound1 (sense 9)
noun
16.
something that binds
17.
the act of binding or state of being bound
18.
(informal) a difficult or annoying situation
19.
another word for bine
20.
(music) another word for tie (sense 17)
21.
(mining) clay between layers of coal
22.
(fencing) a pushing movement with the blade made to force one's opponent's sword from one line into another
23.
(chess) a position in which one player's pawns have a hold on the centre that makes it difficult for the opponent to advance there
See also bind over
Word Origin
Old English bindan; related to Old Norse binda, Old High German bintan, Latin offendixband², Sanskrit badhnāti he binds
Word Origin and History for binding
n.

mid-13c., verbal noun from bind (v.). Meaning "thing that binds" is from c.1300; "state of being bound" is from late 14c. Meaning "covering of a book" is recorded from 1640s.

bind

v.

Old English bindan "to tie up with bonds" (literally and figuratively), also "to make captive; to cover with dressings and bandages" (class III strong verb; past tense band, past participle bunden), from Proto-Germanic *bindan (cf. Old Saxon bindan, Old Norse and Old Frisian binda, Old High German binten "to bind," German binden, Gothic bindan), from PIE root *bhendh- "to bind" (see bend). Intransitive sense of "stick together" is from 1670s. Of books, from c.1400.

n.

"anything that binds," in various senses, late Old English, from bind (v.). Meaning "tight or awkward situation" is from 1851.

binding in Science
bind
  (bīnd)   
To combine with, form a bond with, or be taken up by a chemical or chemical structure. An enzyme, for example, is structured in such a way as to be able to bind with its substrate.
Slang definitions & phrases for binding

bind

noun

A very tight and awkward situation; cleft stick; box, jam: This is a nasty sort of bind (mid-1800s+)

Related Terms

in a bind


Related Abbreviations for binding

BIND

Berkeley Internet Name Domain
Idioms and Phrases with binding

bind

also see:
in a bind
also see under:
bound