bondage
/ˈbɑn.dɪd͡ʒ/
Word Rarity
Rare
Frequency: 3.46 in modern English
11
Scrabble Score
7
Letters
2
Syllables
7
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
The practice of physically restraining people for sexual pleasure, such as by tying up or shackling.
Countable; Uncountable
noun
Applied to clothing with many buckles, zips, etc., associated with punk and goth subcultures.
Countable; Uncountable
Example Sentences
- "debt bondage"
- "In Judeo-Christian tradition, the Israelites fled bondage at the hands of the Egyptians, only to wander in the wilderness for the next four decades."
- ""She was the Wicked Witch of the East, as I said," answered the little woman. "She has held all the Munchkins in bondage for many years, making them slave for her night and day. Now they are all set free, and are grateful to you for the favor.""
- "He lived in financial bondage to his cocaine habit; no matter how much he earned, it all seemed to disappear up his nose."
- "Their marriage broke up when she discovered he had been engaging in bondage games with a local dominatrix while he was supposedly working out at the gym."
- "bondage trousers; bondage jeans; bondage pants"
Etymology
Inherited from Middle English bondage (“serfdom”), from British Medieval Latin bondagium (“an inferior tenure held by a bond or husbandman”), from Middle English bond (“tenant farmer, serf”), from Old English bonda (“householder, husband, head of a family”), of Old Norse origin. Sense development influenced by the unrelated terms bond and bind.
Origin
Word Breakdown
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /ˈbɑn.dɪd͡ʒ/
- British English: /ˈbɒn.dɪd͡ʒ/