bond

1 of 3

noun

1
: something that binds or restrains : fetter
prisoners freed from their bonds
the bonds of oppression
2
: a binding agreement : covenant
united in the bonds of holy matrimony
My word is my bond.
3
a
: a band or cord used to tie something
b
: a material (such as timber or brick) or device for binding
c
chemistry : an attractive force that holds together the atoms, ions, or groups of atoms in a molecule or crystal
chemical bonds
d
: an adhesive, cementing material, or fusible ingredient that combines, unites, or strengthens
4
: a uniting or binding element or force : tie
the bonds of friendship
5
a
: an obligation made binding by a forfeit of money
also : the amount of the money guarantee
I have sworn an oath, that I will have my bond Shakespeare
The accused was released on $40,000 bond.
b
: one who provides bail or acts as surety (see surety sense 3)
c
finance : an interest-bearing certificate of public or private indebtedness
money that she had invested in stocks and bonds
d
: an insurance agreement pledging that one will become legally liable for financial loss caused to another by the act or default of a third person or by some contingency over which the third person may have no control
6
masonry : the systematic lapping (see lap entry 2 sense 4a) of brick in a wall
7
: the state of goods made, stored, or transported under the care of an agency until the duties or taxes on them are paid
you may leave … tobacco in bond with customsRichard Joseph
8
alcohol : a 100-proof straight whiskey aged at least four years under government supervision before being bottled

called also bonded whiskey

9

bond

2 of 3

verb

bonded; bonding; bonds

transitive verb

1
masonry : to lap (a building material, such as brick) for solidity of construction
2
a
: to secure payment of duties and taxes on (goods) by giving a bond (see bond entry 1 sense 5a)
warehouses for bonding tobacco
b
: to convert into a debt secured by bonds (see bond entry 1 sense 5a)
c
insurance : to provide a bond (see bond entry 1 sense 5d) for or cause to provide such a bond
bond an employee
3
a
: to cause to adhere firmly
Heat is used to bond the plastic sheets together.
b
: to embed in a matrix (see matrix sense 3b)
abrasive material bonded in a resinous binder
c
chemistry : to hold together in a molecule or crystal by chemical bonds (see bond entry 1 sense 3c)

intransitive verb

1
: to hold together or solidify by or as if by means of a bond (see bond entry 1) or binder (see binder sense 3)
The glue didn't bond to the glass.
2
: to form a close relationship especially through frequent association
the new mother bonded with her child
The retreat was a great bonding experience for the team.
bondable adjective
bonder noun

bond

3 of 3

adjective

archaic
: bound in slavery

Examples of bond in a Sentence

Noun a daughter's bond with her mother Recent events have helped to strengthen the bonds between our two countries. My roommate and I share a common bond because we both grew up in the Midwest. She has invested most of her money in stocks and bonds. Verb Heat was used to bond the sheets of plastic together. The poster was bonded to the wall with glue.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Image Image The couple’s bond with the design studio, known as Ashe Leandro, was forged more than 15 years ago, when both the designers and the artists were establishing themselves in New York. Max Berlinger Stefan Ruiz, New York Times, 18 Mar. 2024 He is being held at the Washington County Detention Center in lieu of $750,000 bond. Ron Wood, arkansasonline.com, 18 Mar. 2024 Realness fostering stronger bonds with France is particularly significant, given that the cinematographic and audiovisual co-production agreement between South Africa and France came into force in 2023. Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 17 Mar. 2024 She’s being held on a $150,000 bond and could face up to 20 years in prison if convicted. Emma Colton, Fox News, 17 Mar. 2024 Meanwhile, California, despite state bond funds, needs the federal government to make high-speed rail happen. Joe Mathews, The Mercury News, 16 Mar. 2024 Fleming has a $5,000 personal bond, is to have no contact with the victim and is not to go to Marshalls, according to court records entered Feb. 20. Christina Hall, Detroit Free Press, 16 Mar. 2024 This is the 16th consecutive year that the Ministry of Finance has issued Renminbi sovereign bonds in Hong Kong, with the total issuance size surpassing 300 billion yuan ($41 billion). Zimo Zhong, Quartz, 13 Mar. 2024 The lyrics, about the powerful bonds between sisters that grew up together, convey a different sense of bonding when sung by Ollie and Anya. Billboard Japan, Billboard, 6 Mar. 2024
Verb
Rick’s trauma was front and center as the pair bonded and healed. Kelly Wynne, Peoplemag, 18 Mar. 2024 The two lawmakers bonded over their dismay at the frantic spectacle now unfolding, as about a dozen other ambitious Republicans competed to replace McCarthy, further dividing the Party. David D. Kirkpatrick, The New Yorker, 15 Mar. 2024 The two bonded over a passion for all things Middle Eastern before turning it into something more. Lilah Ramzi, Vogue, 15 Mar. 2024 One of the ways the cast bonded outside set was through a festival of Bening’s films, which Neill organized in a screening room of their hotel. Caroline Brew, Variety, 15 Mar. 2024 The politicians bonded over the deaths of their sons, with Lincoln losing Willie in February 1862 and Stanton losing his infant child in July of that same year. Vanessa Armstrong, Smithsonian Magazine, 14 Mar. 2024 The two men bonded during a walk on a beach, in part over their humble backgrounds, which set them apart from the upper-middle-class Ivy League students who were prevalent in the antiwar movement. Trip Gabriel, New York Times, 12 Mar. 2024 Juliette Binoche and Benoît Magimel play cook and gourmand, lovers who bond over their art. Laurie Ochoa, Los Angeles Times, 9 Mar. 2024 The calf is bonding with its mother, two big sisters Nandi and Penzi and allomother Lungille, who will help care for the calf. The Arizona Republic, 8 Mar. 2024
Adjective
The new partnership project will have space in the pre-bond area of the jail where workers will make an initial connection to people who might benefit from some of the programs the project is offering, said Matthew McFarland, project director for Community Resource Support. Stephanie Casanova, chicagotribune.com, 8 Dec. 2021

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'bond.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun and Verb

Middle English band, bond — more at band

Adjective

Middle English bonde, from bonde customary tenant, from Old English bōnda householder, from Old Norse bōndi

First Known Use

Noun

12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1700, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of bond was in the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near bond

Cite this Entry

“Bond.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bond. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

bond

1 of 2 noun
1
: something that binds
2
a
: a material or device for binding
b
: a means by which atoms, ions, or groups of atoms are held together in a molecule or crystal
3
: a uniting or binding force or influence : tie
the bonds of friendship
4
a
: a pledge to do an act or pay a sum on or before a set date or forfeit a sum if the pledge is not fulfilled
b
: a certificate promising payment of a certain sum on or before a stated day and issued by a government or corporation as an evidence of debt
5
: a binding or connection made by overlapping parts of a structure (as in laying brick)

bond

2 of 2 verb
1
: to protect or secure by or operate under a bond
2
: to hold together or make solid by or as if by a bond
3
: to form a close relationship especially through frequent togetherness
the new mother bonded with her child
bondable adjective
bonder noun

Medical Definition

bond

noun
: an attractive force that holds together atoms, ions, or groups of atoms in a molecule or crystal
usually represented in formulas by a line
bond verb

Legal Definition

bond

1 of 2 noun
1
a
: a usually formal written agreement by which a person undertakes to perform a certain act (as appear in court or fulfill the obligations of a contract) or abstain from performing an act (as committing a crime) with the condition that failure to perform or abstain will obligate the person or often a surety to pay a sum of money or will result in the forfeiture of money put up by the person or surety
also : the money put up

Note: The purpose of a bond is to provide an incentive for the fulfillment of an obligation. It also provides reassurance that the obligation will be fulfilled and that compensation is available if it is not fulfilled. In most cases a surety is involved, and the bond makes the surety responsible for the consequences of the obligated person's behavior. Some bonds, such as fidelity bonds, function as insurance agreements, in which the surety promises to pay for financial loss caused by the bad behavior of an obligated person or by some contingency over which the person may have no control.

appeal bond
: a cost bond required by a rule of procedure to be given by an appellant in order to cover the costs of an appeal
appearance bond
: an often unsecured bond given by a defendant in a criminal trial to guarantee the defendant's appearance in court as scheduled
attachment bond
: a bond given by a plaintiff seeking to attach the defendant's property that ensures payment to the defendant of any damages suffered because of the attachment in the event the plaintiff loses the suit
: a bond given by a defendant in order to have an attachment released that ensures payment of a judgment awarded to the plaintiff
bail bond
: a bond given by a criminal defendant or by his or her surety to ensure compliance with the terms of bail and especially with the requirement that the defendant appear in court as scheduled
bid bond
: a surety bond often required of contractors bidding on construction work to ensure that the successful bidder will accept the job and will also provide a performance bond
blanket bond
: a fidelity bond covering all persons or all of a category of persons employed (as by a bank) or holding office (as of a trustee in bankruptcy)
completion bond
: performance bond in this entry
contract bond
: a bond given to protect a person or business entity against loss caused by a breach of a contract (as for building, construction, or supply)
cost bond
: a bond given by a plaintiff to ensure payment of court costs
depository bond
: a bond given by a bank often for deposits from state or municipal governments that covers the amount of the deposit in the event of the bank's insolvency
fidelity bond
: a bond or other form of contract to cover an employer or government entity against financial loss due to the dishonesty of an employee or other trusted person
injunction bond
: a bond required to be given by the applicant for an injunction to cover costs and damages incurred by a party found to have been wrongfully enjoined
judicial bond
: a bond (as an appeal bond or bail bond) required to be given in a court proceeding
license bond
: a surety bond required by law or as a condition to the conduct of a specific business or profession

called also permit bond

payment bond
: a surety bond that covers payment to certain parties (as suppliers) in the event that a contractor breaches a construction contract
peace bond
: a bond required to be given by a defendant to ensure good behavior and discourage breaches of the peace
penal bond
: a bond that ensures payment of a stipulated sum in the event of a party's nonperformance and that is often required for government contracts
performance bond
: a surety bond that ensures a property owner (as a developer or municipality) of the completion of a construction contract or payment of actual damages to the extent of the bond in the event that the contractor fails to complete it

called also completion bond

permit bond
: license bond in this entry
personal bond
: a criminal defendant's unsecured promise to appear in court as scheduled after release from custody
replevin bond
: a bond given by a plaintiff in a replevin action to cover losses to the defendant or court officer seizing the property in the defendant's possession and transferring it to the plaintiff in the event that the plaintiff loses the case
supersedeas bond
: a bond given by an appellant in order to obtain a stay of the judgment awarded at trial and for the purpose of ensuring that if the appellant loses the appeal the appellee will be paid the judgment plus any damages incident to the delay caused by the appeal
surety bond
: a bond in which a surety agrees to assume responsibility for the performance of an obligation of another in the event of a default
b
: one who acts as a surety
2
: an interest-bearing document giving evidence of a debt issued by a government body or corporation that is sometimes secured by a lien on property and is often designed to take care of a particular financial need see also collateralized mortgage obligation
accrual bond
: a bond that is usually the last tranche of a collateralized mortgage obligation and from which no payments of principal or interest are made until the earlier tranches are paid in full

called also Z-bond

adjustment bond
: a bond that is issued in settlement of a prior obligation as part of a business reorganization and on which interest payments are usually contingent upon earnings
baby bond
: a bond having a face value of usually $500 or less
bearer bond
: a fully negotiable bond payable to its bearer compare registered bond in this entry
book-entry bond
: a bond whose ownership is recorded by computer but for which no certificate is issued
convertible bond
: a bond that may be exchanged for another type of security (as common stock) at prearranged terms
coupon bond
: a bearer bond that has coupons that must be cut off and presented for payment of interest
debenture bond
: a bond backed by the general credit of the issuer rather than by a specific lien on particular assets : debenture
discount bond
: a bond with a market value lower than its face value
flower bond
: a Treasury bond that may be redeemed at face value before maturity if used in settling federal estate taxes
guaranteed bond
: a bond on which payment of interest or principal or both is guaranteed by a corporation other than the issuer
income bond
: a bond that pays interest at a rate based on the issuer's earnings
junk bond
: a high-risk bond that offers a high yield and is often issued to finance the takeover of a company
mortgage bond
: a bond secured by a mortgage on property compare debenture
municipal bond
: a bond issued by a municipality to fund the expenses of running the government or of specific programs or projects
registered bond
: a bond registered in the name of the holder on the books of the company and issued with the name of the holder written on the bond certificate compare bearer bond in this entry
revenue bond
: a bond issued by a public agency authorized to build, acquire, or improve a revenue-producing property (as a toll road) and payable solely out of the revenue derived from such property
savings bond
: a nontransferable registered bond issued by the U.S. government in denominations of $50 to $10,000
serial bond
: one of a series of bonds maturing periodically rather than on a single maturity date
Treasury bond
: a long-term government bond issued by or under the authority of the U.S. Treasury compare Treasury bill at bill, Treasury note at note
zero-coupon bond
: a bond that is sold at a price significantly below face value, pays no annual interest, and is redeemable at full value at maturity compare strip

bond

2 of 2 transitive verb
1
: to convert into a debt secured by bonds
2
: to provide a bond for
bond an employee

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