tie

[ tahy ]

/ taɪ /

|||

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR tie ON THESAURUS.COM

verb (used with object), tied, ty·ing.

to bind, fasten, or attach with a cord, string, or the like, drawn together and knotted: to tie a tin can on a dog's tail.

to draw together the parts of with a knotted string or the like: to tie a bundle tight.

to fasten by tightening and knotting the string or strings of: to tie one's shoes.

to draw or fasten together into a knot, as a cord: to tie one's shoelace.

to form by looping and interlacing, as a knot or bow.

to fasten, join, or connect in any way.

Angling. to design and make (an artificial fly).

to bind or join closely or firmly: Great affection tied them.

Informal. to unite in marriage.

to confine, restrict, or limit: The weather tied him to the house.

to bind or oblige, as to do something.

to make the same score as; equal in a contest.

Music. to connect (notes) by a tie.

verb (used without object), tied, ty·ing.

to make a tie, bond, or connection.

to make or be the same score; be equal in a contest: The teams tied for first place in the league.

noun

that with which anything is tied.

a cord, string, or the like, used for tying, fastening, binding, or wrapping something.

a necktie.

a low shoe fastened with a lace.

a knot, especially an ornamental one; bow.

anything that fastens, secures, or unites.

a bond or connection, as of affection, kinship, mutual interest, or between two or more people, groups, nations, or the like: family ties; the ties between Britain and the U.S.

a state of equality in the result of a contest, as in points scored, votes obtained, etc., among competitors: The game ended in a tie.

a match or contest in which this occurs.

any of various structural members, as beams or rods, for keeping two objects, as rafters or the haunches of an arch, from spreading or separating.

Music. a curved line connecting two notes on the same line or space to indicate that the sound is to be sustained for their joint value, not repeated.

Also called, especially British, sleeper. Railroads. any of a number of closely spaced transverse beams, usually of wood, for holding the rails forming a track at the proper distance from each other and for transmitting train loads to the ballast and roadbed.

bride²(def 1).

Surveying. a measurement made to determine the position of a survey station with respect to a reference mark or other isolated point.

Verb Phrases

tie down, to limit one's activities; confine; curtail: He finds that a desk job ties him down.

tie in,

to connect or be connected; be consistent: His story ties in with the facts.
Surveying. to establish the position of (a point not part of a survey control).
to make a tie-in, especially in advertising or a sale: The paperback book is tied in with the movie of the same title.

tie off, to tie a cord or suture around (a vein, blood vessel, or the like) so as to stop the flow within.

tie up,

to fasten securely by tying.
to wrap; bind.
to hinder; impede.
to bring to a stop; make inactive.
to invest or place (money) in such a way as to render unavailable for other uses.
to place (property) under such conditions or restrictions as to prevent sale or alienation.
to moor a ship.
to engage or occupy completely: I can't see you now, I'm all tied up.

Nearby words

Idioms

tie one on, Slang. to get drunk: Charlie sure tied one on last night!

tie the knot. knot¹(def 18).

Origin of tie

before 900; (noun) Middle English te(i)gh cord, rope, Old English tēagh, tēgh, cognate with Old Norse taug rope; (v.) Middle English tien, Old English tīgan, derivative of the noun; compare Old Norse teygja to draw. See tug, tow¹

SYNONYMS FOR tie

6 unite, link, knit, yoke, lock.

11 obligate, constrain.

17 rope, band, ligature.

18 cravat.

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR tie ON THESAURUS.COM

ANTONYMS FOR tie

1 loose, loosen.

SEE MORE ANTONYMS FOR tie ON THESAURUS.COM

Related formsre·tie, verb (used with object), re·tied, re·ty·ing.un·der·tie, nounun·der·tie, verb (used with object), un·der·tied, un·der·ty·ing.well-tied, adjective

Synonym study

22. See bond¹.

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

Examples from the Web for tie

What could be more important, to make sure that side of things is right before we tie ourselves to someone forever?
‘Downton Abbey’ Review: A Fire, Some Sex, and Sad, Sad Edith|Kevin Fallon|January 5, 2015|DAILY BEAST
In fact, Clark fell back first from her blows, losing his cap, tie, and badge in the melee.
Dr. King Goes to Hollywood: The Flawed History of ‘Selma’|Gary May|January 2, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Instead, the Republicans should tie their push for infrastructure to getting folks off the couch and back to work.
Bush, Christie, Romney: Who’ll Be the GOP Class Warrior?|Lloyd Green|December 15, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Cheney is relying on some thin evidence to tie Hussein to al-Qaida.
Fact-Checking the Sunday Shows: Dec. 14|PunditFact.com|December 14, 2014|DAILY BEAST

I settle for a sweater and jacket and throw a tie in my briefcase just in case it turns out to be the prom.
Alfred Hitchcock’s Fade to Black: The Great Director’s Final Days|David Freeman|December 13, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Tie a piece of cheese-cloth over the top of jug and stand it in a warm kitchen about one week, until it begins to ferment.
Mary at the Farm and Book of Recipes Compiled during Her Visit among the "Pennsylvania Germans"|Edith M. Thomas
In the case of a tie the stakes are divided between the two or more players who have an equal number.
Round Games with Cards|W. H. Peel
When pulling on the tie pin the arms of the holder tend to draw together and clamp it on the pin.
The Boy Mechanic, Book 2|Various
And the shaman desired a man to tie the bird's wings to her side so that she might be still.
The Strange Story Book|Mrs. Andrew Lang
Tossing the rosebuds on the bench, she began to draw into smoothness the silken loop that defaced the tie.
Flood Tide|Sara Ware Bassett

British Dictionary definitions for tie

tie

/ (taɪ) /

verb ties, tying or tied

(when tr, often foll by up) to fasten or be fastened with string, thread, etc

to make (a knot or bow) in (something)to tie a knot; tie a ribbon

(tr) to restrict or secure

to equal the score of a competitor or fellow candidate

(tr) informal to unite in marriage

music

to execute (two successive notes of the same pitch) as though they formed one note of composite time value
to connect (two printed notes) with a tie

fit to be tied slang very angry or upset

noun

a bond, link, or fastening

a restriction or restraint

a string, wire, ribbon, etc, with which something is tied

a long narrow piece of material worn, esp by men, under the collar of a shirt, tied in a knot close to the throat with the ends hanging down the frontUS name: necktie

an equality in score, attainment, etc, in a contest
the match or competition in which such a result is attained

a structural member carrying tension, such as a tie beam or tie rod

sport, British a match or game in an eliminating competitiona cup tie

(usually plural) a shoe fastened by means of laces

the US and Canadian name for sleeper (def. 3)

music a slur connecting two notes of the same pitch indicating that the sound is to be prolonged for their joint time value

surveying one of two measurements running from two points on a survey line to a point of detail to fix its position

lacemaking another name for bride 2

Word Origin for tie

Old English tīgan to tie; related to Old Norse teygja to draw, stretch out, Old English tēon to pull; see tug, tow 1, tight

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 tie (1 of 2)

tie

"that with which anything is tied," Old English teag, from Proto-Germanic *taugo (cf. Old Norse taug "tie," tygill "string"), from PIE *deuk- "to pull, to lead" (cf. Old English teon "to draw, pull, drag;" see duke (n.)).

Figurative sense is recorded from 1550s. Meaning "equality between competitors" is first found 1670s, from notion of a connecting link (tie-breaker is recorded from 1961). Sense of "necktie, cravat" first recorded 1761. The railway sense of "transverse sleeper" is from 1857, American English.

Word Origin and History for tie (1 of 2)

tie

Old English tigan, tiegan, from the source of tie (n.). Related: Tied; tying. Tie-dye first attested 1904. Tie one on "get drunk" is recorded from 1951. In the noun sense of "connection," tie-in dates from 1934.

tie

verb (used with object), tied, ty·ing.

verb (used without object), tied, ty·ing.

noun

Verb Phrases

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Nearby words

Idioms

Origin of tie

Synonym study

Examples from the Web for tie

British Dictionary definitions for tie

tie

verb ties, tying or tied

noun

Word Origin for tie

Word Origin and History for tie (1 of 2)

tie

Word Origin and History for tie (1 of 2)

tie