ligature

American  

[lig-uh-cher, -choor] / ˈlɪg ə tʃər, -ˌtʃʊər /

noun

1. the act of binding or tying up.

   The ligature of the artery was done with skill.

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

3. a tie or bond.

   the ligature of mutual need that bound them together.

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

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

6. Music.

   1. a slur.

   2. a group of notes connected by a slur.

   3. a metal band for securing the reed of a clarinet or saxophone to the mouthpiece.

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

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verb (used with object)

ligatures, present (3rd person singular) ligatured, past participle, past ligaturing present participle

1. to bind with a ligature; tie up; ligate.

ligature British  

/ -ˌtʃʊə, ˈlɪɡətʃə /

noun

1. the act of binding or tying up

2. something used to bind

3. a link, bond, or tie

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

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

6. music

   1. a slur or the group of notes connected by it

   2. (in plainsong notation) a symbol indicating two or more notes grouped together

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verb

1. (tr) to bind with a ligature; ligate

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• unligatured
  adjective

Conjugated Forms

Present

• has ligatured
  perfect 3rd person singular
• have ligatured
  perfect
• are ligaturing
  progressive
• has been ligaturing
  perfect progressive 3rd person singular
• am ligaturing
  progressive 1st person singular
• have been ligaturing
  perfect progressive
• ligaturing
  participle
• ligatures
  singular 3rd person
• is ligaturing
  progressive 3rd person singular

Past

• had ligatured
  perfect
• were ligaturing
  progressive plural
• ligatured
  participle
• had been ligaturing
  perfect progressive
• ligatured
  simple
• was ligaturing
  progressive singular

Future

• will ligature
  simple
• will have ligatured
  perfect
• will have been ligaturing
  perfect progressive
• will be ligaturing
  progressive

Etymology

Origin of ligature

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

Explanation

Ligature is when two things are tied or stitched together, and it's also the thread or cord that's used to do the binding. If you hit your head and need stitches, you'll go to the emergency room for ligature. Doctors and nurses are all well-trained in ligature (since they are always stiching people up), but they are not the only people familiar with ligature. When a robber ties up victims before robbing a store, the rope used to tie their hands is also a ligature, and when a musician connects two notes with a slur — singing or playing them as one syllable — that's a ligature too. The word comes from the Latin root ligatura, "a band," from ligare, "to bind."

Example Sentences

Ligature Marks Theatre Unleashed stages Mac Rogers’ dark comedy about a twisted romance and an online game.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 5, 2015

Before the Ligature is drawn close with the Gripe-Stick, a little piece of Paste-board is to be put underneath, for fear of pinching the Skin.

From The Compleat Surgeon or, the whole Art of Surgery explain'd in a most familiar Method. by Le Clerc, Charles Gabriel

Top Ligature of infancy, healing engine of emergency, base and mainstay of our civilization—we celebrate the safety pin.

From Pipefuls by Morley, Christopher

Ligature of Internal Iliac.—Little need be added to the account just given of the operation for ligature of the common iliac, as precisely the same incisions are required.

From A Manual of the Operations of Surgery For the Use of Senior Students, House Surgeons, and Junior Practitioners by Bell, Joseph

Ligature of Axillary, in its second stage, is not an advisable operation, when it is merely intended to throw a ligature round the artery for an aneurism lower down.

From A Manual of the Operations of Surgery For the Use of Senior Students, House Surgeons, and Junior Practitioners by Bell, Joseph