bind /'bīnd/ vt bound /'bau̇nd/, bind·ing
1 a: to make responsible for an obligation (as under a contract)
agents have the power to bind the insurer — R. I. Mehr
b: to burden with an obligation
prevented married women from bind ing their property — J. H. Friedenthal et al.
2: to exert control over: constrain by legal authority
this court is bound by precedent
3: to bring (an insurance policy) into effect by an oral communication or a binder
Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary of Law. Merriam-Webster. 1996.