bond
/bɒnd
/noun
1A thing used to tie something or to fasten things together: she brushed back a curl which had strayed from its bonds...
- The country was always an unstable equilibrium, artificially held together by the iron bonds of an authoritarian and brutal regime.
- His father pushed his sleeve up and tied on a rubber bond.
- I am a link in a chain, a bond of connection between persons.
1.1 (bonds) Ropes, chains, or other restraints used to hold someone prisoner: he stooped over the trussed man and tested his bonds...
- Steel Fists cut the bonds holding the three prisoners.
- Ropes tightened against bonds with the swell of the sea.
- Her bonds were ropes on the hands, but her feet were chained together.
Synonyms
chains, fetters, shackles, manacles, irons;
ropes, cords, ties, fastenings, restraints
rare trammels
1.2A force or feeling that unites people; a shared emotion or interest: there was a bond of understanding between them...
- People who trust one another share a bond of faith and understanding.
- But community demands more than simply emotionally satisfying bonds between individuals.
- Yes, you can generate sales - but equally, you can generate goodwill or an emotional bond.
Synonyms
friendship, relationship, fellowship, partnership, association, affiliation, alliance, coalition;
attachment, tie, link, connection, union, nexus
2An agreement with legal force, in particular:Marriage as a legal bond may become outdated, but I doubt it....
- Their bond is purely legal, familial, and time bound.
- It is logical because it is a legal bond, supposedly proof to the world that two people are in love, like a big advert.
Synonyms
promise, pledge, vow, avowal, oath, word, word of honour, solemn word, guarantee, assurance;
agreement, understanding, engagement, commitment, obligation, contract, pact, transaction, bargain, deal, settlement, covenant, compact, treaty, concordat, accord;
bail, parole
archaic troth
2.1 Law A deed by which a person is committed to make payment to another.The contract is to be found in the terms of the Trust Deed and of the bonds....
- There are no options under a payment bond except to pay on default by the principal.
- The numbers do not reflect the fact that the company is claiming some $244,000 in principal payment on bonds posted on this project.
2.2 South African term for mortgage.Naturally people with bonds, loans and the likes will have something left in their pocket.
2.3A certificate issued by a government or a public company promising to repay borrowed money at a fixed rate of interest at a specified time.Alternatively, the government may seek to borrow the money, by issuing Treasury bills and bonds to the public....
- Debt repayments have been funded in part by new issues of government bonds but the money markets are concerned that this cannot continue indefinitely.
- Interest rates on government bonds of EMU member states have converged.
2.4An insurance policy held by a company, which protects against losses resulting from circumstances such as bankruptcy.Each union must buy an insurance bond to protect members against fraud on the part of its staff, and must also meet stringent solvency regulations....
- He says the insurance bond provides deserved protection for employees who put a lot into the company.
- We have received quite a few e-mails over recent weeks about pensions, investments and insurance bonds.
2.5US A sum of money paid as bail.A Columbia University graduate, Rodriguez fell into bail bonds when he was looking to augment his salary from his printing business....
- Very rarely do you get a bond or bail if the death penalty is being sought.
- And I suspect that it is money that has motivated Vollmann to include the bail bond chapter in The Royal Family.
3 (also chemical bond) A strong force of attraction holding atoms together in a molecule or crystal, resulting from the sharing or transfer of electrons: each carbon atom uses three electrons to form bonds with the adjacent atoms...
- The electrons that are shared by the atoms to form the bond belong to one of these molecular orbitals.
- A covalent bond is a bond formed when two atoms share a pair of electrons.
- Opposing this tendency is the covalent bond holding the HCl molecule together.
4 [with modifier] Building A pattern in which bricks are laid in order to ensure the strength of the resulting structure: stretcher bond...
- Bricks shall be laid in running or stretcher bond with control joints as noted on drawings.
- Like conventional bricks, adobes are laid in a running bond - an overlapping pattern - then mortared in place with adobe mud.
- The job requires a master mason to set the first course, grout bond beams, and install and tension the post-tension tendons.
verb
1Join or be joined securely to something else, especially by means of an adhesive substance, heat, or pressure: [with object]: press the material to bond the layers together [no object]: this material will bond well to stainless steel rods (as adjective bonding) a bonding agent...
- A technique first used in the aerospace industry, weld bonding uses a structural adhesive film to reduce the number of spot welds.
- We bonded them with an adhesive that cannot ever be destroyed.
- Tests produced adhesives that bonded to cloth, glass, leather, metal, paper, plastic, and other materials.
Synonyms
join, connect, fasten, fix, affix, attach, secure, bind, stick, glue, gum, paste, cement, fuse, weld, solder
1.1 [no object] Establish a relationship or link with someone based on shared feelings, interests, or experiences: the failure to properly bond with their children (as noun modifier bonding) the film has some great male bonding scenes...
- A club or sports team you're into is also a great place to bond with people who share your interests.
- Here we see Harry - who once ran and hid from the relationship - actively create more opportunities to bond with Mary.
- The purpose of these rituals is to enable young people to bond with others with whom they have undergone painful experiences.
2Join or be joined by a chemical bond: [no object]: neutral molecules bond to the central atom...
- The walls are made of sugar molecules bonded by amino acids, Tenover explains, and vancomycin attacks the amino acid links.
- Quantum dots can bond chemically to biological molecules, enabling them to trace specific proteins within cells.
- Complex ions are ions that have a molecular structure consisting of a central atom bonded to other atoms by coordinate covalent bonds.
3 [with object] (usually as adjective bonding) Lay (bricks) in an overlapping pattern so as to form a strong structure: a bonding course...
- The projecting bastions are drum-shaped, built of stone laced with horizontal bonding courses of red tile.
- The user can change brick colors, bonding patterns, coursing, and mortar colors instantly.
- An ingenious pattern of brickwork bonding was adopted to ensure satisfactory composite action.
4 (usually as noun bonding) Place (dutiable goods) in bond: they want the introduction of bonding to guarantee that consignments will be properly handled...
- Joint guarantee provided by several bonding companies are allowed.
- I speak specifically of lenders, bonding companies, etc.
- Both States had huge, irresponsible tax cuts which they paid for in part by bonding and borrowing.
Phrases
in bond
Origin
Middle English: variant of band1.
band from Old English:
A band in the sense ‘a strip of something’ comes from the same Germanic root as bind (Old English) and bond (Middle English). Bend is a variant found in bend sinister (early 17th century), a broad diagonal stripe from top right to bottom left of a shield, a supposed sign of bastardy. Bandage (late 16th century) and bandbox (mid 17th century), now a box for carrying hats, but originally for carrying neckbands, come from this word. In early use a band in the sense ‘a group’, usually consisted of armed men, robbers, or assassins. The first groups of musicians called a band (in the 17th century) were attached to regiments of the army. Banner (Middle English) is related. A bandwagon (mid 19th century) was a wagon used for carrying the band in a parade or procession. The word now occurs more often in phrases such as to jump on the bandwagon. This use developed in America in the late 19th century.