To bind means ‘to tie or fasten something with string or rope’ or ‘to bandage a wound.’ Figuratively, often in the passive voice, we use it to mean ‘join, unite’ or ‘to be under an obligation.’ In book publishing, to bind means ‘to fasten sheets with a cover.’ As a noun, a bind is a tie that binds, whether literally or figuratively, and it also means ‘a complicated situation,’ although this meaning is now…
To prick is ‘to pierce or make a puncture,’ with something sharp and tiny, like a needle, and also ‘to cause to feel a sharp pain, as from piercing.’ Figuratively, we use it to talk about mental pain as well. A prick is a small puncture made by a needle or something similar, the sharp pain felt when pricking, and also the act of pricking itself. Vulgarly, a prick is a penis and, informally, we call a nasty…
