Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
🪢 A binding cord 🩺 A tying thread 🔤 A joined letter 🎷 A reed holder 🎼 A note group
ligature

ligature

1 8.4
A single character made by joining two or more letters to make words easier to read
  • noun
  • /ˈlɪɡətʃər/
  • Specialized
translation icon : ligadura tipográfica
  • They appear not as historiated initials but instead as effigies positioned beside the text with no visual ligature connecting the two.

You can see that nice C win, and then the AE ligature for the ash, and then the EV.

Examples

  • In typography, a ligature can enhance the aesthetic quality of the text by combining letters, such as the common 'fi' ligature.

  • You can see that nice C win, and then the AE ligature for the ash, and then the EV.

    MIT OpenCourseWare

  • The other most important thing about these vowels is the ash, that AE ligature, which when I write it on the board, I'll write like that.

  • The calligrapher skillfully used a ligature to join the letters, making the word more visually appealing.

  • When printing, designers often employ ligatures to create smoother reading experiences by linking certain letter combinations.

Synonyms

character
vsligature
136 3.2

A written sign such as a letter or number

is a joined form combining two or more letters into one symbol
symbol
vsligature
73 2.7

A mark, like a letter, that stands for something

is specifically a mark made by joining letters rather than a general sign
printed symbol
vsligature
3.7

A mark made when writing or printing, like a letter

is specifically a mark created by joining two or more letters for readability

Surface Forms

ligature singular
ligatures plural

Morphology

ligature = lig + ure

Although the typographic meaning (joined letters) fits the general notion of 'binding', the morphological parts are not familiar productive English morphemes, so the meaning is not reliably inferable by learners.

Etymology

Ligature comes from the Latin ligare 'to bind'. In writing it means letters 'bound' together as a single symbol, like 'æ' or 'ff', which join two letters to make the text flow better.