All 4 Uses of
bound
in
Macbeth
- Boundless intemperance
In nature is a tyranny; it hath been
The untimely emptying of the happy throne,
And fall of many kings.†p. 143.8 *boundless = without boundaries or limitsstandard suffix: The suffix "-less" in boundless means without. This is the same pattern you see in words like fearless, homeless, and endless.
- Then comes my fit again: I had else been perfect;
Whole as the marble, founded as the rock;
As broad and general as the casing air:
But now I am cabined, cribbed, confined, bound in
To saucy doubts and fears.†p. 101.1 *
- That will never be:
Who can impress the forest; bid the tree
Unfix his earth-bound root?†p. 127.4
- And thy hair,
Thou other gold-bound brow, is like the first;—
A third is like the former.†p. 129.2
Definitions:
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(1)
(bound as in: south-bound lanes) traveling in a particular direction or to a specific location
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(2)
(bound as in: bound to succeed) almost certain to; or determined to
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(3)
(bound as in: bound together or bound by law) constrained and/or held together or wrappedThe sense of constrained, can mean tied up or obligated depending upon the context. For example:
- "Her wrists were bound." -- tied up
- "I am bound by my word." -- required or obligated (in this case to keep a promise)
- "He is muscle bound." -- prevented from moving easily (due to having such large, tight muscles)
The exact meaning of the senses of held together or wrapped also depend upon context. For example:- "The pages of the book are bound with glue." -- held together physically
- "The book is bound in leather." -- wrapped or covered
- "The United States and England are bound together by a common language." -- connected or united (tied together, figuratively)
- "She cleaned the wound and bound it with fresh bandages." -- wrapped
- "She is wheelchair-bound." -- connected (moves with a wheelchair because she is unable to walk)
- "The jacket has bound buttonholes." -- edges wrapped by fabric or trim rather than stitches
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(4)
(bound as in: out of bounds) a boundary or limit
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(5)
(bound as in: The deer bound across the trail.) to leap or jump
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(6)
(meaning too rare to warrant focus) For more specialized senses of bound, see a comprehensive dictionary. For example, the word can refer to constipation and has specialized meanings in law, chemistry, logic, and linguistics.