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bond

  • noun 1 a thing used to tie or fasten things together. 2 (bonds) physical restraints used to hold someone prisoner. 3 a force or feeling that unites people. 4 a binding agreement. 5 a certificate issued by a government or a public company promising to repay borrowed money at a fixed rate of interest at a specified time. 6 (also chemical bond) a strong force of attraction holding atoms together in a molecule. 7 Building any of the various patterns in which bricks are laid to ensure strength in the resulting structure.

  • verb 1 join or be joined securely to something else. 2 establish a relationship based on shared feelings or experiences. 3 lay (bricks) in a strong overlapping pattern. 4 place (dutiable goods) in bond.

  — PHRASES in bond (of dutiable goods) stored by customs until duty is paid by the importer.

  — ORIGIN variant of BAND1.

 

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