bounce
verb [ I or T ]
uk/baʊns/ us BANKING
if a cheque bounces, or a bank bounces it, the bank refuses to pay it because there is not enough money in the account:
The bank immediately froze the account and bounced outstanding cheques.
Payments of $1 million were coming due, but when investors went to cash the checks, they bounced.
IT, COMMUNICATIONS
if an email that you send bounces or is bounced, it is returned to you because the address is wrong or there is a computer problem:
Customers may be annoyed that spam defences bounce their legitimate e-mail.
The report they'd asked me to send bounced, because the email address was invalid.
FINANCE, ECONOMICS
to suddenly increase, often after falling to its lowest level:
Analysts say that the US economy has bounced.
bounce 10%/10p/10 points The Group's shares bounced 20% yesterday as it unveiled its half-year results.
Phrasal verbs
bounce around
bounce back
bounce
noun [ C, usually singular ]
uk/baʊns/ us ECONOMICS, FINANCE
a sudden increase in value, price, etc.:
Dealers took their cue from a strong bounce on Wall Street to push prices higher.
a bounce in sth Confidence is growing that we will see a bounce in consumer spending.
Today's recovery is being led by a bounce in the technology sector.
a bounce back Despite a bounce back in prices after the sales, the volume of business in stores rose in August.
See also
dead cat bounce