tie

/tuy/, v., tied, tying, n.

v.t.

1. 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.

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

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

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

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

6. to fasten, join, or connect in any way.

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

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

9. Informal. to unite in marriage.

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

11. to bind or oblige, as to do something.

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

13. Music. to connect (notes) by a tie.

v.i.

14. to make a tie, bond, or connection.

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

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

17. tie in,

a. to connect or be connected; be consistent: His story ties in with the facts.

b. Survey. to establish the position of (a point not part of a survey control).

c. to make a tie-in, esp. in advertising or a sale: The paperback book is tied in with the movie of the same title.

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

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

20. tie the knot. See knot¹ (def. 13).

21. tie up,

a. to fasten securely by tying.

b. to wrap; bind.

c. to hinder; impede.

d. to bring to a stop; make inactive.

e. to invest or place (money) in such a way as to render unavailable for other uses.

f. to place (property) under such conditions or restrictions as to prevent sale or alienation.

g. to moor a ship.

h. to engage or occupy completely: I can't see you now, I'm all tied up.

n.

22. that with which anything is tied.

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

24. a necktie.

25. a low shoe fastened with a lace.

26. a knot, esp. an ornamental one; bow.

27. anything that fastens, secures, or unites.

28. 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.

29. 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.

30. a match or contest in which this occurs.

31. 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.

32. 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.

33. Also called, esp. Brit., 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.

34. bride² (def. 1).

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

[bef. 900; (n.) ME te(i)gh cord, rope, OE teagh, tegh, c. ON taug rope; (v.) ME tien, OE tigan, deriv. of the n.; cf. ON teygja to draw. See TUG, TOW¹]

Syn. 6. unite, link, knit, yoke, lock. 11. obligate, constrain. 23. rope, band, ligature. 24. cravat. 28. See bond.

Ant. 1. loose, loosen.

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