binding
binding — adjective
1. describing a promise, contract, or decision that the people involved are require
describing a promise, contract, or decision that the people involved are required by law to keep, so that none of them can simply walk away from it later.
The contract Fadi signed with the gallery is legally binding for three years.
collocation: legally binding
Once both parties shake hands in court, the agreement becomes binding on everyone.
binding on someone
Hiro refused to sign anything binding before his lawyer had read every page.
The judge reminded the jury that her ruling was final and binding.
The treaty is not binding until each country's parliament approves it.
- enforceable
stresses that a court can force compliance, slightly more technical
- obligatory
broader: applies to rules and duties, not only legal documents
- mandatory
applies to rules everyone must follow, often set by an authority rather than a contract
- non-binding
describes an agreement that carries no legal force
- voluntary
describes participation that nobody is required to take part in
文法句型
binding on someone
legally binding
用法筆記
Frequently appears with 'legally', 'morally', or 'mutually'. Often used predicatively after 'be' or 'become'. Common subjects are contract, agreement, decision, ruling, promise, or treaty.
常見錯誤
binding — noun
1. the outer cover of a book, together with the glue, thread, or stitching that hol
the outer cover of a book, together with the glue, thread, or stitching that holds all the pages firmly together inside it.
The old Bible had a leather binding that smelled of dust and beeswax.
leather binding
Sami chose a red cloth binding for her grandmother's photo album.
cloth / hardback binding
Pages started falling out because the cheap paperback binding had cracked.
The library paid a craftsman to repair the binding of three rare maps.
用法筆記
Used both countably (a leather binding) and uncountably (the binding has cracked). Common modifiers are leather, cloth, hardback, paperback, spiral, and stitched.
常見錯誤
2. a long, narrow piece of cloth or tape that is sewn over the edge of a blanket, s
a long, narrow piece of cloth or tape that is sewn over the edge of a blanket, skirt, curtain, or similar item to make the edge neat and stop it from fraying.
Grandma sewed pale blue binding around the edge of the baby's blanket.
sew binding around an edge
The curtains had a satin binding that matched the cushions on the sofa.
satin / silk binding
Nikolai bought two metres of cotton binding to finish his quilt.
The tailor stitched a strip of black binding along the hem of the jacket.
用法筆記
Mainly uncountable: 'a metre of binding', not 'a binding'. Usually paired with verbs like 'sew', 'stitch', or 'attach', and prepositions 'around', 'along', or 'over'.
常見錯誤
3. the metal-and-plastic fitting on top of skis and snowboards that grips the front
the metal-and-plastic fitting on top of skis and snowboards that grips the front and back of your boot, and lets the boot pop free when you fall to protect your knee.
Tariq knelt down in the snow and clipped his boots into the bindings.
clip into the bindings
One of the bindings released too late, and Hana twisted her right knee.
binding release
The shop technician adjusted the bindings to match Hiro's weight and skill level.
Modern snowboard bindings use straps across the toes and the ankle.
- fastener
general term for anything that holds two things together; not specific to skiing
用法筆記
Usually plural ('bindings') because each ski or snowboard has its own fitting. Common verbs are clip into, step into, release, adjust, and tighten.
常見錯誤
4. the practice, often used by transgender or non-binary people, of pressing the ch
the practice, often used by transgender or non-binary people, of pressing the chest flat by wearing a tight cloth wrap or a special vest called a binder underneath one's clothes.
Jamie learned safe binding techniques from a video made by a community health group.
safe binding techniques
Doctors warn that binding for more than eight hours a day can bruise ribs.
binding for [duration]
The clinic offers free advice on binding to teenagers who are exploring their gender.
Alex stopped using bandages for binding after a friend recommended a proper binder.
- chest binding
fuller term, very common in medical and LGBTQ+ contexts
用法筆記
Uncountable; often appears with 'safe', 'unsafe', 'chest', or 'breast' as modifiers. Distinguish from sense 1 (legal) and sense 2 (sewing) by the surrounding context: medical, clothing, or LGBTQ+ topics.