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ligature Meaning & Definition

/ˈlɪɡət͡ʃɚ/

What Does Ligature Mean?

Ligature is a noun that means The act of tying or binding something. It is also used to mean A cord or similar thing used to tie something; especially the thread used in surgery to close a vessel or duct. As a verb, it means To ligate; to tie.

Quick Facts About Ligature

Part of speechnoun, verb
Pronunciation/ˈlɪɡət͡ʃɚ/
Synonymsbinder
Pluralligatures
Verb formsligatures, ligaturing, ligatured

Ligature Definition (Noun)

  1. The act of tying or binding something.
  2. A cord or similar thing used to tie something; especially the thread used in surgery to close a vessel or duct.

    anti-ligature clothing

  3. A thread or wire used to remove tumours, etc.
  4. The state of being bound or stiffened; stiffness.

    the ligature of a joint

  5. A character or glyph that visually combines multiple letters, often those of a digraph (such as æ, œ, ß or ij) but sometimes also others (such as fi or fl). (In English and various other languages, such characters and glyphs are not necessary to write or type in the standard orthography, but there are traditions of using them for aesthetic reasons.)
  6. A linker word that is classified as a separate part of speech, usually present in Philippine languages.
  7. A group of notes played as a phrase, or the curved line that indicates such a phrase.
  8. A curve or line connecting notes; a slur.
  9. A piece used to hold a reed to the mouthpiece on woodwind instruments.
  10. Any binding, uniting, or restraining principle or agency.
  11. A spell or charm that induces sexual impotence.

Ligature as a Verb

  1. To ligate; to tie.

Noun

  1. A character that visually combines multiple letters, such as æ, œ, ß or ij; also logotype. Sometimes called a typographic ligature.
  2. Impotence caused by magic or charms.

Synonyms of Ligature

Ligature synonyms and antonyms →

Ligature in a Sentence

anti-ligature clothing

the ligature of a joint

Word Forms & Grammar

ligature (countable and uncountable, plural ligatures)

ligature (third-person singular simple present ligatures, present participle ligaturing, simple past and past participle ligatured)

Origin of Ligature

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

Quick Answers About Ligature

Is ligature a noun or a verb?

Ligature is mainly used as a noun, but it can also be used as a verb.

What is another word for ligature?

Words with a similar meaning to ligature include binder. See the full list of ligature synonyms and antonyms.

What is the plural of ligature?

The plural of ligature is ligatures.

What is the past tense of ligature?

The past tense of ligature is ligatured. The present participle is ligaturing.

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