bounce Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun the quality of a substance that is able to rebound
    bounciness.
  2. noun a light, self-propelled movement upwards or forwards
    spring; leaping; bound; leap; saltation.
  3. noun rebounding from an impact (or series of impacts)
    bouncing.
  4. verb spring back; spring away from an impact
    spring; rebound; bound; take a hop; reverberate; recoil; resile; ricochet.
    • The rubber ball bounced
    • These particles do not resile but they unite after they collide
  5. verb hit something so that it bounces
    • bounce a ball
  6. verb move up and down repeatedly
    jounce.
  7. verb come back after being refused
    • the check bounced
  8. verb leap suddenly
    • He bounced to his feet
  9. verb refuse to accept and send back
    • bounce a check
  10. verb eject from the premises
    • The ex-boxer's job is to bounce people who want to enter this private club

WordNet

Bounce intransitive verb
Etymology
OE. bunsen; cf. D. bonzen to strike, bounce, bons blow, LG. bunsen to knock; all prob. of imitative origin.
Wordforms
imperfect & past participle Bounced present participle & verbal noun Bouncing
Definitions
  1. To strike or thump, so as to rebound, or to make a sudden noise; a knock loudly.
    Another bounces as hard as he can knock. Swift.
    Against his bosom bounced his heaving heart. Dryden.
  2. To leap or spring suddenly or unceremoniously; to bound; as, she bounced into the room.
    Out bounced the mastiff. Swift.
    Bounced off his arm+chair. Thackeray.
  3. To boast; to talk big; to bluster. Obs.
Bounce transitive verb
Definitions
  1. To drive against anything suddenly and violently; to bump; to thump. Swift.
  2. To cause to bound or rebound; sometimes, to toss.
  3. To eject violently, as from a room; to discharge unceremoniously, as from employment. Collog. U. S.
  4. To bully; to scold. Collog. J. Fletcher.
Bounce noun
Definitions
  1. A sudden leap or bound; a rebound.
  2. A heavy, sudden, and often noisy, blow or thump.
    The bounce burst open the door. Dryden.
  3. An explosion, or the noise of one. Obs.
  4. Bluster; brag; untruthful boasting; audacious exaggeration; an impudent lie; a bouncer. Johnson. De Quincey.
  5. (Zoöl.) A dogfish of Europe (Scyllium catulus).
Bounce adverb
Definitions
  1. With a sudden leap; suddenly.
    This impudent puppy comes bounce in upon me. Bickerstaff.

Webster 1913