Binding

Binding is the name of the action of fastening several things together by a rope or any other means. In chemistry, it is the state of being linked by chemical bonds. In law and human behaviour, binding refers to an unbreakable agreement or obligation between two or more people, that holds them together in a particular arrangement.

Thus holding the pages of a book together by thread or any other means is called binding. The fabric used for the act of binding is also called binding.

In sports, binding is the short form of 'ski binding'. It is a mechanical device, fixed to a ski, and used to hold the ski boot in its grip. Either of the pair is known by this name. In downhill skiing, the binding holds the toe and heel of the boot, and in case of a fall releases automatically.

The term 'binding' is used in Chomskyan linguistics for the relationship that exist in a syntax between a word that is referentially dependent in form, such as a reflexive, to the independent noun phrase. The relationship determines the reference and hence a binding. For example, in the sentence 'I saw my friend', 'my' is referentially dependent on 'I', and both 'I' and 'my' are coreferential to 'friend' which is independent. Therefore, we say 'I' binds 'my'.