tie

verb (ties, tying, tied)

1》 attach or fasten with string, cord, etc.

    ↘form into a knot or bow.

    ↘(tie someone up) restrict someone's movement by binding their arms or legs or binding them to something.

2》 (also tie someone down) restrict or limit to a particular place or situation.

    ↘(usu. be tied up) informal occupy someone to the exclusion of other activity.

    ↘(tie something up) invest or reserve capital so that it is not immediately available for use.

3》 connect; link.

    ↘(tie in) be or cause to be in harmony with something.

    ↘(tie something up) bring something to a satisfactory conclusion.

4》 hold together by a crosspiece or tie.

    ↘Music unite (written notes) by a tie.

    ↘Music perform (two notes) as one unbroken note.

5》 achieve the same score or ranking as another competitor.

6》 (tie into) N. Amer. informal attack or get to work on vigorously.

noun (plural ties)

1》 a thing that ties.

2》 a strip of material worn around the neck beneath a collar, tied in a knot at the front.

3》 a rod or beam holding parts of a structure together.

    ↘N. Amer. short for cross tie.

4》 Brit. a sports match between two or more players or teams in which the winners proceed to the next round of the competition: a cup tie.

5》 a result in a game or match in which two or more competitors have tied.

    ↘Cricket a game in which the scores are level and both sides have completed their innings. Compare with draw.

6》 Music a curved line above or below two notes of the same pitch indicating that they are to be played for the combined duration of their time values.

7》 US a shoe tied with a lace.

Derivatives

tieless adjective

Origin

OE tīgan (v.), tēah (n.), of Gmc origin.