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ligature

ligature

10 8.2
Tying things together with a cord or band to hold them
  • noun
  • /ˈlɪɡətʃər/
translation icon : atadura
  • A forensic knot specialist should always be consulted when knots and ligatures are involved in a possible homicide.
  • ligature strangulation

Examples

  • In my opinion, the ligature wounds are consistent with the belt found at the scene.

  • In the investigation, the detective noted that the victim had a ligature around his neck.

  • You had ligature marks on your neck.

  • How do you explain the ligature marks on his neck.

  • The ligature was actually a pair of pantyhose.

    Fiction book (1990)
  • "Try the ligature around her ankles," I said quietly.

    Fiction book (1990)
  • They found that two types of strangulation exist: ligature and suspension.

    Academic text (1999)
  • The doctor used a ligature to tie the blood vessels during the surgery.

  • The artist created a beautiful design by using a ligature to join the letters together.

Synonyms

bonding
vsligature
9 3.0

Joining two things so they stay firmly together

means using a cord or band to secure items rather than other joining
suturing
vsligature
  • Specialized
4 5.6

To join parts of the body with stitches after a cut or surgery

applies to general cord or band use rather than only surgical stitching
fastening
vsligature
2 3.9

A thing that holds two parts together so they stay secure

focuses on using a cord or band rather than devices or hardware
lacing
vsligature
1 2.7

A cord threaded through holes to tighten a shoe or corset

uses cord or band widely rather than only threading through eyelets
tying
vsligature
1 1.6

Using string or rope to hold things together

is the general act using a cord or band rather than other methods

How Tight

tourniquet
  • Specialized
27 7.5
to noose
  • NSFW
1 8.1
ligature
10 8.2
knot
95 1.0
bow
100 1.0
loop
67 2.5

Surface Forms

ligature singular
ligatures plural

Morphology

ligature = lig + ure

The grammatical structure (root + -ure) is not transparent to most learners because the root is not a recognizable English word and the noun-forming -ure is not productive in everyday vocabulary.

Etymology

Ligature comes from the Latin ligare 'to bind'. It can mean the act of tying or binding things together, so a ligature is simply a 'tie' or binding that holds objects or bags closed.