1

In A Plea for Captain John Brown, Thoreau writes:

When he was here, some years ago, he showed to a few a little manuscript book,—his “orderly book” I think he called it,—containing the names of his company in Kansas, and the rules by which they bound themselves; and he stated that several of them had already sealed the contract with their blood.

Having done research, methinks bound neither means to surround a territory or other geographical entity; to form the boundary of nor to leap in this sentence.

What does the verb bound mean in this sentence?

Improve this question
4
  • Have you looked it up in a dictionary? The fitting definition seems pretty clear. EL&U typically expects a minimum of research and an explanation of how this research failed to answer the question.
    – DW256
    Commented Apr 11, 2023 at 7:52
  • @DW256 I modified my question in response to your worthy comment.
    – John Smith
    Commented Apr 11, 2023 at 8:00
  • 1
    You do know it's the past tense of bind?
    – Stuart F
    Commented Apr 11, 2023 at 8:45
  • The last sense given in CD. Sense 1c (with near-exact example) in M-W.
    – Edwin Ashworth
    Commented Apr 11, 2023 at 10:04

1 Answer 1

Reset to default
1

Background :

Word Web says Bind means :

Create social or emotional ties

Bind by an obligation; cause to be indebted

"He's bound by a contract";

Word Web says Bound means :

Place limits on

Bound by an oath

"a bound official"

Bound is the Past tense of Bind.

What the means in the Sentence ?
" ... a little manuscript book ... containing ... the rules by which they bound themselves ... "

It means that these rules are binding them ( compelling them to ) to certain actions & prohibiting them ( compelling them away from ) from certain other actions.

No body is forcing them , they have made the rules themselves.

Improve this answer

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged .