tie

tie [tī]

vt.

tied, tying or tieing [ME tien < OE tigan, tegan; akin to teag, a rope: for IE base see TOW¹]

1. to fasten, attach, or bind together or to something else, as with string, cord, or rope made secure by knotting, etc. [to tie someone's hands, to tie a boat to a pier]

2.

a) to draw together or join the parts, ends, or sides of by tightening and knotting laces, strings, etc. [to tie one's shoes]

b) to make by fastening together parts [to tie fishing flies]

3.

a) to make (a knot or bow)

b) to make a knot or bow in [to tie one's necktie]

4. to fasten, connect, join, or bind in any way [tied by common interests]

5. to confine; restrain; restrict

6.

a) to equal the score or achievement of, as in a contest

b) to equal (a score, record, etc.)

7. Informal to join in marriage

8. Music to connect with a tie

vi.

1. to be capable of being tied; make a tie

2. to make an equal score or achievement, as in a contest

n.

[ME tege, teige < OE teag, teah, a rope]

1. a string, lace, cord, etc. used to tie things

2. something that connects, binds, or joins; bond; link [a business tie, ties of affection]

3. something that confines, limits, or restricts [legal ties]

4. short for NECKTIE

5. a beam, rod, etc. that holds together parts of a building and strengthens against stress

☆ 6. any of the parallel crossbeams to which the rails of a railroad are fastened

7.

a) an equality of scores, votes, achievement, etc. in a contest

b) a contest or match in which there is such an equality; draw; stalemate

8. [pl.] low shoes fastened with laces, as oxfords

9. Music a curved line above or below two notes of the same pitch, indicating that the tone is to be held unbroken for the duration of their combined values

adj.

that has been tied, or made equal [a tie score]

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tie down

to confine; restrain; restrict

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☆ tie in

1. to bring into or have a connection

2. to make or be consistent, harmonious, etc.

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☆ tie into

Informal to attack vigorously

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tie off

1. to make (a rope or line) fast

2. to close off passage through by tying with something

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☆ tie one on

Slang to get drunk

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tie up

1. to tie firmly or securely

2. to wrap up and tie with string, cord, etc.

3. to moor (a ship or boat) to a dock

☆ 4. to obstruct; hinder; stop

5. to cause to be already in use, retained, committed, etc.

SYN.- TIE and BIND are often interchangeable, but in discriminating use, TIE specif. implies the connection of one thing with another by means of a rope, string, etc. which can be knotted [to tie a horse to a hitching post ], and BIND suggests the use of an encircling band which holds two or more things firmly together [to bind someone's legs ]; FASTEN, a somewhat more general word, implies a joining of one thing to another, as by tying, binding, gluing, nailing, pinning, etc.; ATTACH emphasizes the joining of two or more things in order to keep them together as a unit [to attach one's references to an application ] -ANT. SEPARATE, PART²