ligature

[lig-uh-cher, -choo r] /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 ƕ.
6.
Music.
  1. 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.
verb (used with object), ligatured, ligaturing.
8.
to bind with a ligature; tie up; ligate.
Origin
1350-1400; Middle English < Late Latin ligātūra. See ligate, -ure
Related forms
unligatured, adjective
Examples from the web for ligature
  • The idea is that this will loosen the inner-ring-road ligature that surrounds the city centre, and encourage pedestrians.
British Dictionary definitions for ligature

ligature

/ˈlɪɡətʃə; -ˌtʃʊə/
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
verb
7.
(transitive) to bind with a ligature; ligate
Word Origin
C14: from Late Latin ligātūra, ultimately from Latin ligāre to bind
Word Origin and History for ligature
n.

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.

ligature in Medicine

ligature lig·a·ture (lĭg'ə-chur', -chər)
n.

  1. The act of tying or binding.

  2. A cord, wire, or bandage used for tying or binding.

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