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A place in obscurity or retirement, or out of sight. I fancy there was a background of grinding and waiting before Miss Torry could produce this highly finished . . . performance. Mrs. Alexander. A husband somewhere in the background. Thackeray.

Private; indirect; secret; intriguing; as if finding access by the back stairs. A backstairs influence. Burke. Female caprice and backstairs influence. Trevelyan.

A fillet or strip of woven material, used in dressing and binding up wounds, etc.

receive the property and pay the consideration. A contract is a bargain that is legally binding. Wharton.

Relating to the binding of books. [R.]

Pertaining to the art of binding books. [R.] Dibdin.

The art of binding books. [R.]

also blue bice. Green bice is prepared from the blue, by adding yellow orpiment, or by grinding down the green carbonate of copper. Cooley. Brande & C.

A writing binding the signer or signers to pay a certain sum at a future day or on demand, with or without interest, as may be stated in the document. [Eng.]

To protect or strengthen by a band or binding, as the edge of a carpet or garment.

The winding or twining stem of a hop vine or other climbing plant.

Purblind; blinding. [Obs.] "Bisson rheum." Shak.

at different times and for different purposes; -- so called either from the color of the binding, or from the character of the contents.

Attributing blame or fault; implying or conveying censure; faultfinding; censorious. Chaucer. -- Blame"ful*ly, adv. -- Blame"ful*ness, n.

here the optic nerve enters, and which is insensible to light. -- Blind tooling, in bookbinding and leather work, the indented impression of heated tools, without gilding; -- called also blank tooling, and blind blocking. -- Blind wall, a wall without an opening; a blank wall.

A gale of piercingly cold wind, usually accompanied with fine and blinding snow; a furious blast. [U. S.]

A binding force or influence; a cause of union; a uniting tie; as, the bonds of fellowship. A people with whom I have no tie but the common bond of mankind. Burke.

A stone running through a wall from one face to another, to bind it together; a binding stone.

A bookbinder's shop; a place or establishment for binding books.

Something placed in a book to guide in finding a particular page or passage; also, a label in a book to designate the owner; a bookplate.