'gravity-bound' originates from Modern English, formed by combining the noun 'gravity' (ultimately from Latin 'gravitas' via Old French 'gravité' and Middle English) and the adjective 'bound' (from Old English 'bunden', the past participle of 'bindan').

'gravity' changed from Latin 'gravitas' to Old French 'gravité', entered Middle English and became the modern English 'gravity'; 'bound' developed from Old English 'bunden' (past participle of 'bindan') into Middle English 'bound' and the modern verb/adjective forms. The compound 'gravity-bound' is a modern English formation combining these elements.

Initially, 'gravity' meant 'weight' or 'heaviness' and 'bound' meant 'tied' or 'restrained'; over time, 'gravity' came to denote the attractive force we now call gravity, and the compound evolved to mean 'held or constrained by gravitational force.'