bound [E16th] The word bound meaning to ‘leap’ and rebound [LME] are from French bondir ‘resound’, later ‘rebound’, which went back to Latin bombus ‘humming’, and is thus related to *bomb. When a man is described as a bounder [L19th] there is a connection with the slang term bounder for a four-wheeled cab [M19th] which ‘bounded’ over rough roads causing discomfort. Bound [ME] in the sense boundary [E17th] is also from French but its ultimate history is unknown. Bound [ME] in the sense of ‘bound for, heading towards’ is from an Old Norse word boun ‘ready, dressed’ from búa ‘get ready’, while bound [LME] in the sense of ‘under an obligation’ as in duty bound is simply a past form of bind [ME].