Bounding

bound ¹  (bound)

intr.v. bound·ed, bound·ing, bounds

1. To leap forward or upward; spring.

2. To progress by forward leaps or springs.

3. To bounce; rebound.

n.

1. A leap; a jump.

2. A rebound; a bounce.

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[French bondir, to bounce, from Old French, to resound, perhaps from Vulgar Latin *bombitre, from Latin bombitre, to hum, from bombus, a humming sound, from Greek bombos.]

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bound ²  (bound)

n.

1. A boundary; a limit. Often used in the plural: Our joy knew no bounds. Your remarks exceed the bounds of reason.

2. bounds The territory on, within, or near limiting lines: the bounds of the kingdom.

v. bound·ed, bound·ing, bounds

v.tr.

1. To set a limit to; confine: a high wall that bounded the prison yard; lives that were bounded by poverty.

2. To constitute the boundary or limit of: a city park that was bounded by busy streets.

3. To identify the boundaries of; demarcate.

v.intr.

To border on another place, state, or country.

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[Middle English, from Old French bodne, bonde and Anglo-Norman bunde, both from Medieval Latin bodina, of Celtic origin.]

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bound ³  (bound)

v.

Past tense and past participle of bind.

adj.

1. Confined by bonds; tied: bound and gagged hostages.

2. Being under legal or moral obligation: bound by my promise.

3. Equipped with a cover or binding: bound volumes.

4. Predetermined; certain: We're bound to be late.

5. Determined; resolved: She's bound to be mayor.

6. Linguistics Being a form, especially a morpheme, that cannot stand as an independent word, such as a prefix or suffix.

7. Constipated.

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bound ⁴  (bound)

adj.

Headed or intending to head in a specified direction: commuters bound for home; a south-bound train.

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[Alteration of Middle English boun, ready, from Old Norse binn, past participle of ba, to get ready; see bheu- in Indo-European roots.]