I. 1. One who sets or marks out bounds or limits. lit. and fig.
1570. Levins, Manip., 73. A Bounder, terminator.
1610. Holland, Camden’s Brit., I. 745. Umpiers and Bounders between diuerse Shires.
a. 1619. Fotherby, Atheom., II. vii. § 6 (1622), 274. The Bounder of all these, is onely God himselfe: who … is the Bounder of all things.
† 2. One who occupies a district bounding another, a borderer. Obs.
1542. Udall, Erasm. Apophth., 105 b. The bordreers or bounders inhabityng round about any place are called in greke Αμφικτυονες.
† 3. One who occupies a ‘bound’ or tract of tin-ore ground. See BOUND sb.1 3 c. ? Obs.
1702. Lond. Gaz., No. 3773/1. The humble Address of the Landlords, Bounders, Adventurers, and Miners, within the County of Cornwal. Ibid. (1708), No. 4458/1. The Owners, Bounders, Adventurers … concerned in Tin … at Truroe.
II. 4. A limit, a boundary; a landmark: prob. a corruption of BOUNDURE [cf. border], taken as bounder ‘that which bounds.’ arch. or dial.
1505. Will, in Ripon Ch. Acts, 304. The howse … and the bowndor therof.
1564. Grindal, Fun. Serm., Wks. (1843), 27. They … only builded it for a bounder and for a testimony.
1598. Stow, Surv., xxxiii. (1603), 293. The Postes there placed as a Bounder.
1619. J. King, Serm., 14. Mine old age,—for that is the bounder of nature.
1622–62. Heylin, Cosmogr., II. (1682), 135. The River Ob, the East Bounder of Russia.
1635. Brathwait, Arcad. Pr., 139. From the flowry boundiers of his Empire.
1839. Stonehouse, Axholme, 64. The inquisition of ‘the bounder’ of Hatfield Chase, taken in 1607.
1855. Whitby Gloss., Bounders, landmarks or boundaries, fences.
5. Attrib. and Comb., as bounder-mark, -stone.
1666. Peramb. Danby, in Atkinson, Provinc. Danby (1863), The exact distance between each bounder mark and other.
1634. Wither, Emblemes, 16. The bounder-stones held sacred heretofore.
1672–5. Comber, Comp. Temple (1702), 567. To seize on his Neighbour’s Field, or remove his Bounder-stone.
1863. Atkinson, Provinc. Danby, Bounder-stoups, upright stones … serving to mark limits or boundaries.
