Forms: 3 bunne, (4–5 ? boune), 6–7 bowne, 4–6 bond(e, bounde, 5–7 bownd(e, 4– bound. [a. OF. bodne, bone, bune, bonne, bunne, also bunde, bonde, 13th c. AF. bounde; in med.L. bodena, bodina (bonna, bunda):—earlier butina (Leg. Ripuar.) = meta, limes. The phonetic history of the Fr. word is difficult; see Littré bonde and borne, and cf. BOURNE.]
† 1. A landmark indicating the limit of an estate or territory. Obs. exc. in comb.
c. 1205. Lay., 1313. Þa comen heo to þan bunnen þa Hercules makede.
c. 1300. K. Alis., 5593. Ymages of moundes, That men clepeth Ercules boundes.
2. The boundary line of a territory or estate; gen. a limit or boundary, that to which anything extends in space.
1387. Trevisa, Higden, Rolls Ser. V. 299. Osca passed nowher his fader bondes.
1483. Act 1 Rich. III., vi. § 1. The contract … was made … within the Bounds and Jurisdiction of the same Fair.
1523. Ld. Berners, Froiss., I. xlvi. 62. The frenche kynge … commaunded them to kepe the bondes of Flanders, on payne of their lyues.
1551. Recorde, Pathw. Knowl., II. Introd. A platte forme … is inclosed with lines as with his boundes.
1615. Sir R. Boyle, in Lismore Papers (1886), I. 77. This day … I made the bownds perfect between my Lands of Kilrobistown.
1635. N. Carpenter, Geog. Del., II. ii. 19. A right line is the shortest betwixt his owne bounds.
1752. Hume, Ess. & Treat. (1777), 290. The bounds of all the European kingdoms are … nearly the same they were 200 years ago.
1809. Bawdwen, Domesday Bk., 239. Thormer is situate within the bounds of the castle of Ilbert.
1839. Yeowell, Anc. Brit. Ch. (1847), 19. The apostle travelled to the utmost bounds of the West.
b. Phrases. To beat the bounds: see BEAT v. 41. † To gain bounds of: to outstrip.
1653. Urquhart, Rabelais, II. Prol. Perceiving the prey by force of flight to have gained bounds of her.
3. pl. The territory situated on or near a boundary; a border-land; also land within certain limits, a district, neighborhood, tract.
1340. Ayenb., 206. He [Lot] ssolde guo out of þe cite of sodomme, and alle þe boundes.
1536. Bellenden, Cron. Scot. (1821), I. Introd. 41. In all boundis of Scotland … is gret plente of haris.
a. 1649. Drumm. of Hawth., Hist. Scot. (1655), 12. The Chiefs and Principals of the Families in these bounds.
1651. Hobbes, Leviath., I. x. 46. Marquises … were Counts that governed the Marches, or bounds of the Empire.
1823. Scott, Peveril, I. vii. 126. These rascals, who come hither to annoy a noble lady on my bounds.
b. sing.
1596. Shaks., 1 Hen. IV., V. iv. 90. When that this bodie did containe a spirit, A Kingdome for it was too small a bound.
c. In Tin-mining. The area or extent of ground taken in by a miner.
1696. Lond. Gaz., No. 3184/3. Owners of the Tyn Bounds, and Adventurers in Tyn Mines.
1881. Raymond, Mining Gloss., Bounds (Cornw.), a tract of tin-ore ground.
4. fig. A limit with reference to immaterial things, as duration, lawful or possible action, feeling, etc.
1393. Gower, Conf., III. 22. Of abstinence he wot no bounde.
1535. Coverdale, Job xiv. 5. Thou hast apoynted him [man] his boundes, he can not go beyond them.
1634. T. Johnson, Parey’s Chirurg., VII. xvi. (1678), 181. Let this be the bound of Sweating, when the patient begins to wax cold.
1690. Locke, Hum. Und., I. i. § 3. It is … worth while, to search out the Bounds between Opinion and Knowledge.
1737. H. Walpole, Corr. (1820), I. 17. I should be out of all bounds, if I was to tell you half I feel.
1799. Mackintosh, Bacon & Locke, Wks. 1846, I. 332. He sometimes carried beyond the bounds of calm and neutral reason his repugnance to doctrines.
1856. Froude, Hist. Eng. (1858), I. iii. 188. It … prevented anarchy from breaking bounds.
5. Comb. and Attrib., as bound-line, -mark, -oak, -road, -stone, where bound = BOUNDARY.
1850. Mrs. Browning, Poems, II. 223. All Europe’s *bound-lines,—drawn afresh in blood.
1623. Lisle, Ælfric on O. & N. T., Pref. ¶ 17. We can neither know well … the names of places and *bound-markes of our own country.
1826. Scott, Malachi Mal., ii. 31. Such a bound-mark as I have described.
1706. Hearne, Collect. (1885), I. 242. Y1 first was a *Bound-Oak.
1584. Wodrow Soc. Misc., 424. His side of the *Bound Rode.
1602. Carew, Cornwall, 129 a. The one … somewhat curiously hewed…. It should seeme to be a *bound stone.
1855. Merivale, Rom. Emp. (1865), IV. xxxiii. 78. The divisions of land … continued to be known by these bound-stones down to a late period of the empire.
