Meanings
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1
noun
a cord, band, or other fastening used to bind things together
An elastic ligature held the bundle of notebooks closed.
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2
noun
thread or wire tied around a blood vessel or other body structure, especially during surgery
The surgeon placed a ligature around the bleeding artery.
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3
noun
a printed or written character formed by joining two or more letters
The typeface includes the ligature ae as a single glyph.
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4
noun
a band that secures a reed to the mouthpiece of a clarinet or saxophone
The clarinetist tightened the ligature before tuning the instrument.
Thesaurus
Etymology
From Middle English and Middle French ligature, from Late Latin ligatura ("a binding"), based on Latin ligare ("to bind, tie"). Its technical senses all preserve the central idea of joining or fastening.