ligature

[ lig-uh-cher, -choo r ]

/ ˈlɪg ə tʃər, -ˌtʃʊər /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR ligature ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

the act of binding or tying up: The ligature of the artery was done with skill.

anything that serves for binding or tying up, as a band, bandage, or cord.

a tie or bond: the ligature of mutual need that bound them together.

Printing, Orthography. a stroke or bar connecting two letters.

Printing. a character or type combining two or more letters, as ﬂ and ƕ.

Music.

slur.
a group of notes connected by a slur.
a metal band for securing the reed of a clarinet or saxophone to the mouthpiece.

Surgery. a thread or wire for constriction of blood vessels or for removing tumors by strangulation.

verb (used with object), lig·a·tured, lig·a·tur·ing.

to bind with a ligature; tie up; ligate.

Nearby words

ligand, ligase, ligate, ligation, ligative, ligature, ligeance, liger, ligeti, ligeti, györgy, light

Origin of ligature

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English word from Late Latin word ligātūra. See ligate, -ure

Related formsun·lig·a·tured, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for ligature

The ligature around his neck corresponded to a fragment of ligature still attached to the shower curtain.
Boris Berezovsky and the Russian Money Problem|David Frum|March 30, 2013|DAILY BEAST
He had scars on his stomach and buttocks, and ligature indentations on his wrists.
Florida Child Abuse Scandal: The Victim's New Life|Jacqui Goddard|February 24, 2011|DAILY BEAST
Other than the changes listed above, printer's inconsistencies in hyphenation and ligature usage have been retained.
Unto This Last and Other Essays on Political Economy|John Ruskin
Table illustrating anastomotic circulation after ligature of arteries of lower limb.
A Manual of the Operations of Surgery|Joseph Bell

The spot where it goes under the sartorius is the one selected for the application of the ligature.
A Manual of the Operations of Surgery|Joseph Bell
Ligature of the aorta may result in either an increased or decreased flow of direct lymph.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 17, Slice 2|Various
Other than the changes listed above, printer's inconsistencies in spelling, hyphenation, and ligature usage have been retained.
Tom Brown at Rugby|Thomas Hughes

British Dictionary definitions for ligature

ligature

/ (ˈlɪɡətʃə, -ˌtʃʊə) /

noun

the act of binding or tying up

something used to bind

a link, bond, or tie

surgery a thread or wire for tying around a vessel, duct, etc, as for constricting the flow of blood to a part

printing a character of two or more joined letters, such as, ﬂ, ﬃ, ﬄ

music

a slur or the group of notes connected by it
(in plainsong notation) a symbol indicating two or more notes grouped together

verb

(tr) to bind with a ligature; ligate

Word Origin for ligature

C14: from Late Latin ligātūra, ultimately from Latin ligāre to bind

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for ligature

ligature

c.1400, "something used in tying or binding," from Middle French ligature (14c.), from Late Latin ligatura "a band," from Latin ligatus, past participle of ligare "to bind" (see ligament). In musical notation from 1590s; of letters joined in printing or writing from 1690s.

Medicine definitions for ligature

ligature

[ lĭg′ə-chur′, -chər ]

n.

The act of tying or binding.

A cord, wire, or bandage used in surgery to close vessels or tie off ducts.

A thread, wire, or cord used in surgery to close vessels or tie off ducts.

ligature

noun

verb (used with object), lig·a·tured, lig·a·tur·ing.

RELATED WORDS

Nearby words

Origin of ligature

Examples from the Web for ligature

British Dictionary definitions for ligature

ligature

noun

verb

Word Origin for ligature

Word Origin and History for ligature

ligature

Medicine definitions for ligature

ligature

n.