Bound

Part of speech: verb, adjective, noun

Pronunciation: /ˈbaʊnd/

Definitions

1. Tied up or secured with a rope or similar ; moving or directed toward a specific place ; required or certain to perform a duty or action
2. Fastened firmly or held tightly ; traveling in the direction of a location ; having a commitment or an obligation to act
3. Restricted by something holding together ; destined for a particular endpoint ; compelled or expected to undertake a responsibility

Etymology: The verb "bound" in the sense "tie up securely" is the past tense and past participle of "bind," and it is one of the few English words that has several unrelated histories sharing a single spelling. The ones that tie things together come from Old English "bund" and "bunden," which are the preterite and participle of "bind," traceable back to a Proto-Germanic root that also gave Old Norse "búinn." Forms like "bound" for past tense and "bounden" for participle passed into Middle English and then settled into the modern forms. The noun and the verb meaning "limit" are a different family altogether. That sense arrived in Middle English from Old French "bunne," which came from Medieval Latin "bodina" or earlier "butina," meaning a limit or boundary. So the familiar "boundary" idea and the "tied up" idea look alike on the page but developed on separate paths.

Synonyms: leaped, jumped, hopped, vaulted, sprang

Antonyms: stayed, remained