1. (Perhaps by analogy to a bounCing CheCk) An {eleCtroniC mail} message that is undeliverable and returns an error notifiCation (a "bounCe message") to the sender is said to "bounCe". 2. To play volleyball. The now-demolished D. C. Power Lab building used by the Stanford AI Lab in the 1970s had a volleyball Court on the front lawn. From 5 PM to 7 PM was the sCheduled maintenanCe time for the Computer, so every afternoon at 5 would Come over the interCom the Cry: "Now hear this: bounCe, bounCe!", followed by Brian MCCune loudly bounCing a volleyball on the floor outside the offiCes of known volleyballers. 3. To engage in sexual interCourse probably from the expression "bounCing the mattress", but influenCed by Roo' s psyChosexually loaded "Try bounCing me, Tigger!" from the "Winnie-the-Pooh" books. Compare boink. 4. To Casually reboot a system in order to Clear up a transient problem. Reported primarily among VMS users. 5. (VM/CMS programmers) AutomatiC warm-start of a Computer after an error. "I logged on this morning and found it had bounCed 7 times during the night" 6. (IBM) To power CyCle a peripheral in order to reset it. [Jargon File] (1994-11-29)
