ligature
7
7.6
- noun
- /ˈlɪɡətʃər/
- Specialized
:
ligadura
- To prevent excessive bleeding, the doctor applied a ligature around the injured artery.
- sutures and ligatures
Examples
-
The surgeon used a ligature to securely tie the blood vessels during the operation.
-
In her medical practice, she often demonstrated how to place a ligature on tissues effectively.
-
See these little marks running along the line left by the ligature.
Fiction book (2001) -
The ligature is wrapped around this padding.
Fiction book (2001) -
Two medium-sized titanium ligature clips were used to ligate.
Academic text (2005) -
Other methods known to the Romans were ligatures, whereby threads or wires could be used to tie off blood vessels.
-
The tightening of the ligature results in hypoxia: the diminishing of oxygenation of the brain.
Fiction book (2001) -
He was staring at the now-familiar deep crimson mark of a ligature lined with tiny bruises and minuscule bleeding cuts from the beads of a necklace.
Fiction book (2001)
Synonyms
107
1.0
A piece of string or ribbon used to fasten things together
42
5.1
A stitch or thread surgeons use to close a wound
Surface Forms
Morphology
ligature = lig + ure
Although the elements correspond to a root meaning 'bind' plus a noun-forming suffix, these are not productive or familiar English morphemes for an average learner, so the meaning cannot be reliably inferred from parts.
Etymology
Ligature comes from the Latin word ligare, which means 'to bind'. A helpful way to remember the medical sense is to think of a ligature as something that 'binds' or ties an artery or tissue closed, the same root as ligament.