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bound up in

 - 5 dictionary results

bound

1  [bound]
Use bound up in in a Sentence
–verb
1. pt. and pp. of bind.
–adjective
2. tied; in bonds: a bound prisoner.
3. made fast as if by a band or bond: She is bound to her family.
4. secured within a cover, as a book.
5. under a legal or moral obligation: He is bound by the terms of the contract.
6. destined; sure; certain: It is bound to happen.
7. determined or resolved: He is bound to go.
8. Pathology. constipated.
9. Mathematics. (of a vector) having a specified initial point as well as magnitude and direction. Compare free (def. 31).
10. held with another element, substance, or material in chemical or physical union.
11. (of a linguistic form) occurring only in combination with other forms, as most affixes. Compare free (def. 34).
—Idiom
12. bound up in or with,
a. inseparably connected with.
b. devoted or attached to: She is bound up in her teaching.
Origin:
ptp. and past tense of bind

Related forms:
boundness, noun

Synonyms:
5. liable, obligated, obliged, compelled.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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Word Origin & History

bound  (v.)
"to leap," 1586, from M.Fr. bondir, from O.Fr. bondir "to leap, rebound, make a noise," originally "to echo back," from V.L. *bombitire "to buzz, hum" (see bomb), perhaps on model of V.L. *tinnitire. Hence bounder (slang, 1889) "would-be stylish person," perhaps from notion of one trying to "bound" into high society, but earliest usage suggests one outside the "bounds" of acceptable socializing.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Legal Dictionary

Main Entry: bound
Function: adjective
: placed under a legal or moral restraint or obligation
Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of Law, © 1996 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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Medical Dictionary

Main Entry: bound
Pronunciation: 'baund
Function: adjective
1 : made costive : CONSTIPATED
2 : held in chemical or physical combination <bound water in a molecule>
Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, © 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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Idioms & Phrases

bound up in

Also, bound up with. Deeply or inextricably involved in. For example, Obviously the candidate was bound up with the negotiations on the party platform, or She is bound up in her church activities. This usage appears in the Bible (Genesis 44:30): "His life is bound up in the lad's life." [Late 1500s]

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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