Meaning of bounce in English

Table of contents
  1. Pronunciation
  2. Verb
    1. Etymology
    2. Definitions
  3. Noun
    1. Definitions

  1. Pronunciation

    /baʊns/

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  1. Verb

    bounce

    Etymology

    Middle English bunsen ‘beat, thump’, perhaps imitative, or from Low German bunsen‘beat’, Dutch bons‘a thump’

    Definitions

    1. spring back

    Examples

    • « spring away from an impact »
    • « The rubber ball bounced »
    • « These particles do not resile but they unite after they collide »

    Derived terms

  2. 2. hit something so that it bounces

    Examples

    • « bounce a ball »

    Derived terms

  3. 3. move up and down repeatedly

    Derived terms

  4. 4. come back after being refused

    Examples

    • « the check bounced »

    Antonyms

  5. 5. leap suddenly

    Examples

    • « He bounced to his feet »
  6. 6. refuse to accept and send back

    Examples

    • « bounce a check »
  7. 7. eject from the premises

    Examples

    • « The ex-boxer's job is to bounce people who want to enter this private club »

    Derived terms

  8. Noun

    bounce

    Definitions

    1. the quality of a substance that is able to rebound

    Derived terms

  9. 2. a light springing movement upwards or forwards

    Derived terms

  10. 3. rebounding from an impact (or series of impacts)

    Derived terms

Famous quotes

  • « We manage to bounce ideas off one another. Every band fights, but at the end of the day, we're very positive about the way we fight. At least we come out with a result. »
    Keith Emerson
  • « It's clear that people are going to download media files, and they're going to talk to each other, and they're going to exchange information and knowledge and so forth. So this system logic is basically what you bounce off of. »
    Michael Nesmith
  • « Only bad golfers are lucky. They're the ones bouncing balls off trees, curbs, turtles and cars. Good golfers have bad luck. When you hit the ball straight, a funny bounce is bound to be unlucky. »
    Lee Trevino
  • « I think exercise tests us in so many ways, our skills, our hearts, our ability to bounce back after setbacks. This is the inner beauty of sports and competition, and it can serve us all well as adult athletes. »
    Peggy Fleming
  • « The test of success is not what you do when you are on top. Success is how high you bounce when you hit bottom. »
    George S. Patton

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