# bond

Pronunciation: say "BOND" US /bɑnd/, UK /bɒnd/

## Noun

1. A document recording a long-term debt that obligates the issuer to pay interest when due and to repay the principal at maturity.
   - Simple: A paper showing you lent money to a company or government, which they must pay back later with interest.
   - _Investors bought the ten-year bond expecting steady interest payments._
   - _The city issued bonds to finance the new bridge._
2. An emotional connection or tie that holds two or more people together, as in a friendship.
   - Simple: A close feeling that holds two or more people together, like friendship or love.
   - _The bond between the twins deepened over years of shared experience._
   - _Years of working side by side created a bond among the crew._
4. A link or force that holds neighboring atoms or ions together, as in a molecule or a crystal.
   - Simple: A force that holds atoms together, for example in a molecule or a crystal.
   - _A double bond forms when two atoms share two pairs of electrons._
   - _Enzymes in the gut break the bonds that hold large food molecules together._
6. A sum pledged or paid to a court to secure the release of an arrested person pending trial.
   - Simple: Money paid or promised to a court so an arrested person can stay free until trial.
   - _He was released after posting a bond of ten thousand dollars._
   - _The defendant skipped town and forfeited the bond._
7. A signed legal document, or deed, in which someone formally promises to pay a sum of money or to carry out the terms of a contract, including the debt certificate called a debenture.
   - Simple: A written promise to pay money or to carry out a contract.
   - _The firm posted a surety bond to back its contractual commitments._
   - _Before work could begin, the builder had to sign a bond promising to finish the bridge on time or pay the city for the delay._
8. A physical connection that binds things together, such as a band or tie.
   - Simple: Something physical that ties or holds things in place, like a band or strap.
   - _The captive strained against the bonds that held him to the chair._
   - _At harvest, each sheaf of wheat was tied with a bond of twisted straw before it was stacked._
9. Any force or substance that cements things together or holds them in check.
   - Simple: Anything that holds or sticks things together, like cement or a strong force.
   - _Cement serves as the bond uniting the aggregate in concrete._
   - _A thin bond of epoxy held the broken handle firmly to the mug._
12. A binding agreement or solemn covenant between parties.
   - Simple: A firm promise or agreement that people must keep.
   - _Shake on it. As far as I'm concerned, my word is my bond._
   - _In the old trading towns, a handshake sealed a bond as binding as any written contract._
14. A pattern of bricklaying, usually one in which the bricks of each row overlap the joints below to give the wall strength.
   - Simple: A way of arranging bricks, usually so they overlap to strengthen a wall.
   - _The warehouse walls were laid in Flemish bond, with long and short bricks alternating along every row._
   - _A running bond is the simplest arrangement, with each brick offset by half its length._
15. A moral or political duty or obligation that binds a person to act.
   - Simple: A moral or political duty that you feel you must follow.
   - _The bond of allegiance that tied him to the crown proved stronger than his sympathy for the rebels._
   - _The oath created a bond of allegiance between the knight and his lord._
17. A partial payment made to assure a provider of the customer's sincerity in buying, forfeited if the purchase is not completed.
   - Simple: Money you pay up front to show you really mean to buy something, which you lose if you back out.
   - _Anyone bidding on the land had to put up a bond of ten percent before the auction began._
   - _When the winning bidder failed to complete the purchase, the auction house kept his bond._
18. A high-quality, durable writing paper, used especially for letters and formal documents.
   - Simple: A strong, good-quality writing paper, often used for letters and important documents.
   - _The contract was printed on cream-colored bond._
   - _He preferred to write his letters on fine bond._
19. The condition of goods stored in a bonded warehouse while payment of duties or taxes is suspended.
   - Simple: The keeping of goods in a special store while the taxes on them are still unpaid.
   - _The shipment remained in bond for three months awaiting customs clearance._
   - _Cargo kept in bond can be re-exported without duty ever being charged._
23. A loan secured against land or buildings; a mortgage. *(South Africa, Scotland)*
   - Simple: A loan used to buy a house or land, paid back over many years.
   - _The couple applied for a bond to cover most of the purchase price._
   - _Rising interest rates increased the cost of his bond considerably._

## Verb

3. To form a friendship or emotional connection with another person.
   - Simple: To build a close, friendly feeling with someone.
   - _The teammates bonded during the long training camp._
   - _Children bond more easily when they share daily routines._
5. To join two things or materials firmly together, for example with glue, cement or a binding.
   - Simple: To make two things stick or hold together firmly.
   - _Strong adhesives bond metal to glass without any screws._
   - _They bonded the laminate to the countertop under heat and pressure._
10. To guarantee or secure a financial risk by taking on legal responsibility for it.
   - Simple: To promise to cover a money loss if something goes wrong.
   - _No surety company would bond the contractor after two of his projects were left unfinished._
   - _The agency bonds every employee who handles client funds._
11. To join with another atom through a chemical bond, as in forming a molecule or compound.
   - Simple: To join with other atoms to make a molecule or other substance.
   - _Carbon atoms bond with hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen to form organic molecules._
   - _Chlorine bonds with sodium to produce common table salt._
13. To secure a person's release from custody by posting a bail bond.
   - Simple: To get someone out of jail by paying a bail bond.
   - _A local agent bonded the defendant out within hours._
   - _Families often scramble to bond a relative out before arraignment._
20. To place goods in a bonded warehouse, holding them there until the duties owed on them are paid.
   - Simple: To put goods in a special store until the taxes on them are paid.
   - _The importer bonded the tobacco shipment on arrival._
   - _Importers often bond spirits on arrival and pay the duty only when the bottles leave the warehouse._
21. To lay bricks in an overlapping pattern that ties a wall together.
   - Simple: To lay bricks so they overlap in a set pattern.
   - _The mason bonded the courses carefully to avoid weak vertical joints._
   - _Apprentices learn to bond brickwork before tackling decorative finishes._
22. To make a reliable electrical connection between two conductors, or between metal parts that could become conductors.
   - Simple: To join two pieces of metal so electricity can flow safely between them.
   - _The technician bonded the equipment frame to the grounding system._
   - _Installers bond all exposed metalwork to prevent dangerous voltage differences._

## Adjective

16. Held in servitude or slavery; not free. *(archaic)*
   - Simple: Held as a slave or servant and so not free.
24. Servile or slavish; characteristic of or fitting for a slave. *(archaic)*
   - Simple: Acting like a slave, or fit for a slave. Too eager to obey.

## Other meanings

- (noun) A heavy copper wire or rod that connects adjacent rails of an electric railway, forming part of the track's electrical circuit.
- (noun) Someone held in bondage as a serf or vassal, owing service to a lord or other superior.
- (adjective) Held under the feudal tenure known as bondage, binding the holder to services owed to a lord.
- (noun) A peasant or low-born commoner; a churl.

## Origin

**Meanings 1–2, 4, 6–9, 12, 14–15, 17–19, 23** — Proto-Germanic *bandaz/*bandiz lies behind Old English 'beand'/'bænd'/'bend' (bond, chain, fetter, band), which gave Middle English 'bond', a variant form of 'band'. Dutch, German, and Swedish 'band' are cognates, and 'bind' is related.
**Meanings 16, 24** — Proto-Germanic *būwandz (dweller) is the ultimate source, perhaps by way of Old Norse 'bóndi' (householder, literally 'dweller') or else through a contraction of Old English 'būend' (dweller); it gave Old English 'bōnda'/'būnda' (householder, freeman), which became Middle English 'bonde' (peasant, servant, bondman).

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/bond (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).