bind

Definition 1

Act of combining, tying or securing two or more objects together without changing the inherent nature of each individual object. For example, a person writing a report consisting of many pages can bind all of those pages together with a staple.

Definition 2

Colloquial term for being in a state of potential trouble or anxiety. For example, a company that has negative cash flows and lots of debts can be said to be in a bind.

Definition 3

To make permanent or irrevocable in the case of documents or contracts. For example, people in the US can bind themselves to a mortgage with a fixed interest rate if they agree to a lending institution's terms and conditions.

Definition 4

Constraining or constricting to a defined set of rules, limitations or parameters. For example, some companies have firewalls that bind computers to local intranets.