# ligature
## English
### Etymology

From Middle English ligature, from Middle French ligature, from Late Latin ligātūra, from Latin ligātus, past participle of ligāre (“to tie, bind”).

### Pronunciation

* (US) IPA: /ˈlɪɡət͡ʃɚ/
* Audio (US):(file)

### Noun

ligature (countable and uncountable, plural ligatures)
* (uncountable) The act of tying or binding something.
* (countable) A cord or similar thing used to tie something; especially the thread used in surgery to close a vessel or duct.
    anti-ligature clothing(in psychiatry) clothing that prevents one from using it to tie knots
** 1726 October 28, [Jonathan Swift], “The Author Gives Some Account of Himself and Family, His First Inducements to Travel. […]”, in Travels into Several Remote Nations of the World. […] [Gulliver’s Travels], volume I, London: […] Benj[amin] Motte, […], →OCLC, part I (A Voyage to Lilliput), page 7:I likewiſe felt ſeveral ſlender Ligatures acroſs my Body, from my Armpits to my Thighs. I could only look upwards, the Sun began to grow hot, and the Light offended mine Eyes.
** 2018, Eli Rosenberg, “She stalked the Golden State Killer until she died. Some think her work led to the suspect’s arrest”, in The Washington Post:He hid shoelaces or rope under cushions to use as ligatures.
* A thread or wire used to remove tumours, etc.
* The state of being bound or stiffened; stiffness.
    the ligature of a joint
* (countable, typography) A character that visually combines multiple letters, such as æ, œ, ß or ĳ; also logotype. Sometimes called a typographic ligature.
    Meronym: ligand
* (countable, music) A group of notes played as a phrase, or the curved line that indicates such a phrase.
* (music) A curve or line connecting notes; a slur.
* (countable) A piece used to hold a reed to the mouthpiece on woodwind instruments.

#### Derived terms

* ligature point

#### Related terms

* liaison
* ligate
* ligation

#### Translations

    The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

### Verb

ligature (third-person singular simple present ligatures, present participle ligaturing, simple past and past participle ligatured)
* (surgery) To ligate; to tie.

### Anagrams

* Gualteri, alurgite, Lartigue

## French
### Etymology

Inherited from Middle French ligature, from Late Latin ligātūra, from Latin ligātus, past participle of ligō (“tie, bind”). Compare the popular Old French liüre.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /li.ɡa.tyʁ/
* Audio:(file)

### Noun

ligature f (plural ligatures)
* a tie; the action of tying
* a binding, notably in horticulture
* ligature; a character that combines multiple letters; logotype

#### Derived terms

* ligaturer

#### Related terms

* lier

### Further reading

* “ligature”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.

### Anagrams

* lugerait
* régulait

## Latin
### Participle

ligātūre
* vocative masculine singular of ligātūrus

## Middle English
### Etymology

Borrowed from Middle French ligature, itself borrowed from Late Latin ligātūra. Doublet of lyoure.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /liˈɡaːtiu̯r(ə)/

### Noun

ligature (plural ligatures)
* bandage, dressing
* (rare) ligament

#### Descendants

* English: ligature

#### References

* “ligātūre, n.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.