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bind off

B2 neutral separable transitive
In simple words

The step in knitting that finishes your work so the loops don't come undone when you take it off the needles.

Literal meaning: To bind (secure) the stitches so they are fixed and off the needle.

Meanings

1 B2 neutral

(Knitting, chiefly North American) To secure the final stitches of a knitted piece so they do not unravel, by passing each stitch over the next.

"Once you've reached the end of the row, bind off loosely to keep the edge flexible."

Grammar: separable
Usage notes

Primarily a North American knitting term; British knitters typically say 'cast off'. Learners of knitting will encounter both terms. The technique involves passing each stitch over the next one on the needle.

Commonly used with

stitches edge knitting needle row neatly

Forms

Base
bind off
I/you/we/they
3rd person
binds off
he/she/it
Past simple
binded off
yesterday
Past participle
binded off
have + pp
-ing form
binding off
continuous

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