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| bounce [ bownss ] |
verb (past and past participle bounced, present participle bounc·ing, 3rd person present singular bounc·es) |
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| Definition: |
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1. transitive and intransitive verb spring away from surface: to move away quickly after hitting a surface, or throw something so that it hits a surface and moves away
  bouncing a tennis ball against a wall
Onlookers saw the car bounce off a tree.
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2. intransitive verb jump up and down: to jump up and down repeatedly on a soft surface
children bouncing on trampolines
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3. transitive verb lift child on knee: to move a baby or small child gently up and down in your arms or on your knees
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4. transitive and intransitive verb reflect from surface: to strike a surface, or cause something to strike a surface, and be reflected back
the use of a fixed orbiting satellite to bounce the transmission signal back to Earth
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5. intransitive verb move up and down on spot: to move up and down repeatedly in almost the same location
with her long blonde hair bouncing as she walked
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6. intransitive verb walk energetically: to walk energetically or cheerfully
She bounced up to the guests and breezily said hello.
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7. transitive and intransitive verb refuse to pay: to refuse payment of a check, or be refused by a bank, because there is insufficient money in the account on which it is drawn
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8. transitive verb write bad check: to write a check that the bank will not honor
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9. transitive verb throw somebody out: to eject somebody from a place or expel somebody from a club or other organization
(
slang
)
managed to get themselves bounced out of the restaurant
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10. intransitive verb come back: to be returned undelivered to a sender
(
used in e-mails or text messages
)
My last e-mail to you bounced.
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noun (plural bounc·es) |
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| Definition: |
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1. act of rebounding: a springing away from a surface after hitting it
hit the ball before the second bounce
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2. springiness: the capacity of a ball or other object to bounce, or of a surface to cause objects hitting it to bounce
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3. bobbing movement: a swinging or bobbing movement, or the capacity to swing or bob up and down
a conditioner guaranteed to give your hair added bounce
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4. energy: lively energy
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5.
(
informal
)
Same as convention bounce
a post-convention bounce
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| [13th century. Origin ?] |
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bounce something off somebody to mention something, especially an idea or suggestion, to somebody in order to get reactions or opinions
She bounced a couple of theories off the students.
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