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tie

tie

12 7.9
A strong beam placed across a building to stop parts moving apart
  • noun
  • /taɪ/
  • Specialized
translation icon : durmiente
  • The engineers reinforced the dugout with steel beams and railroad ties to shelter troops from incoming German shells.
  • railroad ties
  • tie-beam
  • strut-and-tie

You know, in a structure you would like tie things, ties tie things into the, the core masonry or the core structure for stability and stuff like that.

Examples

  • We used old ties to build a fence around the garden.

  • walk on the railway ties

  • Quick, George, grab that railroad tie.

  • We want native stone to build with, railroad ties, and things that fit in.

    Fiction book (2002)
  • Areas where wood ties have high decay rates or where tie replacement is expensive may justify the higher initial costs.

    Academic text (2000)
  • I spent a summer hammering railroad ties.

  • Concrete, steel, and plastics have replaced much of the wood once used in railroad ties, house walls, and flooring.

    Academic text (2000)
  • This is a railroad tie that's part of their like corral right here by the barn.

  • There were yellow-sided Union Pacific cars, railroad ties, pallets, and stacks of lumber.

    Fiction book (1995)
  • The construction crew laid down new ties to support the wooden railway tracks.

Synonyms

railroad tie
vstie
  • Specialized
2 4.1

A heavy wooden or concrete beam laid across railway tracks to hold rails in place

also means a structural beam that prevents parts spreading apart
sleeper
vstie
  • UK
1 6.3

A heavy beam placed under railway rails to hold them in place

also means a horizontal beam in structures that prevents members spreading apart
tie beam
vstie
  • Specialized
7.3

A long horizontal piece that stops two roof sides or walls spreading apart

also refers to heavy beams placed under rails for track support
crosstie
vstie
  • Specialized
7.5

A heavy wooden or concrete beam that lies across railroad tracks to hold the rails in place

also refers to horizontal beams in structures that prevent parts spreading

Idioms

to tie the knot
  • Informal
26 3.1

To get married and begin life together as a couple

Stop someone from acting or making decisions

1 7.9

To become very confused and anxious because you worry too much

Compounds

36 2.8

A small necktie tied in a bow, worn for formal events

black tie
  • Formal
12 3.7

A formal evening dress code for men that requires a black jacket and bow tie

black-tie
  • Formal
11 4.4

Requiring formal evening clothes like a tuxedo and bow tie for men

A shared feeling or value that keeps people together

railroad tie
  • Specialized
2 4.1

A heavy wooden or concrete beam laid across railway tracks to hold rails in place

2 3.0

A small metal piece that holds a tie to a shirt to keep it in place

white tie
  • Formal
2 7.0

A very formal men's evening dress code requiring a white bow tie and tailcoat

1 7.5

A thin cord worn around the neck and held by a decorative clasp as a necktie

1 6.5

A small decorative pin that holds a tie to a shirt

tie-in
  • Specialized
1 6.5

Something used to join two or more parts in building work

1 6.3

A situation where normal activity stops or slows because of a block

1 4.4

A connection between people or groups to work together

skinny tie
  • Archaic
1 4.1

A narrow necktie popular in the late 1950s and 1960s

1 8.1

A very formal evening outfit for men with a white bow tie, white waistcoat, black tailcoat, and matching trousers

cup tie
  • Jargon
1 6.3

A match between teams in a cup competition where the loser is out

1 8.4

A narrow cloth worn at the neck to show which school someone went to and social connections

1 1.6

A small holder that keeps ties neat in a closet

tie rod
  • Specialized
1 6.7

A rod that connects the steering parts to the front wheels so they turn together

1 6.5

A very narrow necktie made of string or ribbon and tied in a bow

white-tie
  • Formal
1 8.0

Evening dress so formal that men wear white bow ties and tailcoats

tie beam
  • Specialized
7.3

A long horizontal piece that stops two roof sides or walls spreading apart

tongue tie
  • Specialized
8.2

A small piece of skin under the tongue is too short from birth and stops the tongue moving well

A wide necktie often tied in a large knot for formal occasions

How Strong

girder
  • Specialized
14 5.0
tie
  • Specialized
12 7.9
beam
104 2.7
plank
56 1.7

Surface Forms

tie singular
ties plural

Etymology

Tie in building is a beam that 'ties' parts of a structure together to stop them from moving apart, so it keeps the frame strong and joined.