bond

/bɒnd//bɑnd/

bond noun: a document constituting evidence of a long-term debt, by which the bond issuer (the borrower) is obliged to pay interest when due, and repay the principal at maturity, as specified on the face of the bond certificate. The rights of the holder are specified in the bond indenture, which contains the legal terms and conditions under which the bond was issued. Bonds are available in two forms: registered bonds, and bearer bonds.

Noun (1)

bond (countable and uncountable, plural bonds)

A document constituting evidence of a long-term debt, by which the bond issuer (the borrower) is obliged to pay interest when due, and repay the principal at maturity, as specified on the face of the bond certificate. The rights of the holder are specified in the bond indenture, which contains the legal terms and conditions under which the bond was issued. Bonds are available in two forms: registered bonds, and bearer bonds.
A documentary obligation to pay a sum or to perform a contract; a debenture.
- Investors face a quandary. Cash offers a return of virtually zero in many developed countries; government-bond yields may have risen in recent weeks but they are still unattractive. Equities have suffered two big bear markets since 2000 and are wobbling again. It is hardly surprising that pension...
- Many say that government and corporate bonds are a good investment to balance against a portfolio consisting primarily of stocks.
A partial payment made to show a provider that the customer is sincere about buying a product or a service. If the product or service is not purchased the customer then forfeits the bond.
(in plural, often) A physical connection which binds, a band.
- The prisoner was brought before the tribunal in iron bonds.
An emotional link, connection or union; that which holds two or more people together, as in a friendship; a tie.
- They had grown up as friends and neighbors, and not even vastly differing political views could break the bond of their friendship.
- a people with whom I have no tie but the common bond of mankind.1792, Edmund Burke, a letter to Sir Hercules Langrishe on the subject of the Roman Catholics of Ireland
Moral or political duty or obligation.
- I love your majesty / According to my bond, nor more nor less.c. 1603–1606, William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of King Lear”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount...
A link or force between neighbouring atoms in a molecule.
- Organic chemistry primarily consists of the study of carbon bonds, in their many variations.
A binding agreement, a covenant.
- You could rely on him. His word was his bond.
- Herbert resented his wife for subjecting him to the bonds of matrimony; he claimed they had gotten married while drunk.
(uncountable) The state of being stored in a bonded warehouse
- liquor bottled in bond
A bail bond.
- The bailiff released the prisoner as soon as the bond was posted.
- Ellison, who is out on bond, also faces the prospect of lengthy imprisonment. Her lawyers did not comment.2023 September 30, Victoria Bekiempis, “‘Dark’ donations, free love and the fall: the Sam Bankman-Fried trial is here”, in The Guardian, →ISSN
(by ellipsis) Bond paper.
Any constraining or cementing force or material.
- A bond of superglue adhered the teacups to the ceiling, much to the consternation of the cafe owners.

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In building, a specific pattern of bricklaying, based on overlapping rows or layers to give strength.

Synonyms:

bondwork
(Scotland) A mortgage.
A heavy copper wire or rod connecting adjacent rails of an electric railway track when used as a part of the electric circuit.

Verb

bond (third-person singular simple present bonds, present participle bonding, simple past and past participle bonded)

(transitive) To connect, secure or tie with a bond; to bind.
- The gargantuan ape was bonded in iron chains and carted onto the stage.
(transitive) To cause to adhere (one material with another).
- The children bonded their snapshots to the scrapbook pages with mucilage.
Synonyms:

cling
(transitive) To form a chemical compound with.
- Under unusual conditions, even gold can be made to bond with other elements.
(transitive) To guarantee or secure a financial risk.
- The contractor was bonded with a local underwriter.
- The existence of such [criminal] records can and has been a barrier to men who wish to obtain a job that requires bonding (such as working in a bank).1979 April 7, David Brill, “BPL Arrests: A Year Later”, in Gay Community News, page 1
To form a friendship or emotional connection.
- The men had bonded while serving together in Vietnam.
(transitive) To put in a bonded warehouse; to secure (goods) until the associated duties are paid.
(transitive) To lay bricks in a specific pattern.
(transitive) To make a reliable electrical connection between two conductors (or any pieces of metal that may potentially become conductors).
- A house's distribution panel should always be bonded to the grounding rods via a panel bond.

Noun (2)

bond (plural bonds)

A peasant; churl.
A vassal; serf; one held in bondage to a superior.

Adjective

bond (comparative more bond, superlative most bond)

Subject to the tenure called bondage.
In a state of servitude or slavedom; not free.
Servile; slavish; pertaining to or befitting a slave.
- bond fear

Proper noun capitalized: Bond

Bond (countable and uncountable, plural Bonds)

A surname originating as an occupation.
A unisex given name from Old Norse.
An unincorporated community in Eagle County, Colorado, United States.
A census-designated place and unincorporated community in Stone County, Mississippi, United States.
An unincorporated community in Hickman County, Tennessee, United States.

bond meaning in Hindi, Tamil, Marathi and Urdu

bond in Hindi

bond: वसीक़ा vasīqā, बंध bandh
bond, bail payment: प्रतिभूति pratibhūti
a bond, fetter: बंधन bandhan

bond in Tamil

பிணைப்பு, அன்பிணைப்பு, பிடிப்பு, பிடிமானம், பற்று, உறவு

bond in Marathi

बंध, बंधपत्र

bond in Urdu

bond: بندھن bandhan
bond, deed, a note of hand: دستاویز dastāvez

More languagesFewer languages

bond in Bengali: ঋণপত্র, মুচলেকা, সম্পর্ক, বন্ধনী
bond in Telugu: బంధము bandhamu
bond in Malayalam: പിണി piṇi, ബന്ധനം bandhanaṁ
bond in Kannada: ಬಂಧನ bandhana
bond in Punjabi: ਵਸੀਕਾ vasīkā
bond in Gujarati: બોન્ડ
bond in Sanskrit: बन्धन bándhana, सेतु sétu
bond in Nepali: बन्धक
bond in Tagalog: panagot, bigkis
bond in Malay: bon
bond in Indonesian: obligasi
bond in Vietnamese: trái phiếu

Examples of bond in a sentence

A bond indenture is the instrument that gives a bond its value.
The new bond issue now appears to be on the bubble, with support eroding.
We decided to park our money in a safe, stable, low-yield bond fund until market conditions improve.

All 40 example sentences with bond

Synonyms of bond

Forms of bond

Noun
plural	bonds
Verb
third-person singular present	bonds
present participle	bonding
past participle	bonded
past	bonded
Adjective
comparative	more bond
superlative	most bond
Proper noun
plural	Bonds

Past tense of bond: bonded

Plural of bond: bonds

Origin of bond

From Middle English bond, a variant of band, from Old English beand, bænd, bend (“bond, chain, fetter, band, ribbon, ornament, chaplet, crown”), from Proto-Germanic *bandaz, *bandiz (“band, fetter”)، from Proto-Indo-European *bʰendʰ- (“to tie; bond, band”). Cognate with Dutch band, German Band, Swedish band. Doublet of Bund. Related to bind.

Inherited from Middle English bonden.

From Middle English bonde (“peasant, servant, bondman”), from Old English bōnda, būnda (“householder, freeman, plebeian, husband”), perhaps from Old Norse bóndi (“husbandman, householder”, literally “dweller”), or a contraction of Old English būend (“dweller, inhabitant”), both from Proto-Germanic *būwandz (“dweller”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰuH- (“to become, grow, appear”). See also bower, boor.

Words formed from bond

Phrases with bond

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Words that rhyme with bond

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Questions about bond

What does bond mean?: Bond means a document constituting evidence of a long-term debt, by which the bond issuer (the borrower) is obliged to pay interest when due, and repay the principal at maturity, as specified on the face of the bond certificate. The rights of the holder are specified in the bond indenture, which contains the legal terms and conditions under which the bond was issued. Bonds are available in two forms: registered bonds, and bearer bonds.
What is bond in Hindi?: Bond in Hindi is वसीक़ा (vasīqā), बंध (bandh), प्रतिभूति (pratibhūti). See Bond meaning in Hindi.
What part of speech is bond?: Bond can be a noun, a verb, an adjective or a proper noun.
How do you pronounce bond?: Bond is pronounced /bɒnd/ (UK).
What is the plural of bond?: The plural of bond is bonds.

Words near bond in the dictionary

Last updated: 2026-09-02

Pronunciation audio from Wikimedia Commons, each file under its own free license: Bond pronunciation.ogg, en-us-bond.ogg.

Cite this entry: “bond.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/bond. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.