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tie(2) (iou)



tie verb1. , *tieing. Also tye.

a. verb trans. Attach or fasten (to another person or thing, together) by passing around a cord, rope, etc., and knotting it; confine or fasten (back, up, etc.) in this way. OE.
Western Folklore One end of the rope may be tied to a tree. I. McEwan They tied my hands together behind my back. R. J. Conley Foster..had..tied his horse to the hitching rail. D. Levy Her hair is silver and she ties it back with a green ribbon.
b. verb trans. Draw together the parts of (a thing) with a knotted cord etc.; fasten (a garment etc.) in this way, esp. with strings already attached. Also, make or form (a cord, ribbon, shoelace, etc.) into a knot or bow, esp. to fasten something. LME.
V. Woolf They tied their shoes..and drew the bows..tight. Beverley Cleary Her mother..tied her sash in a nice fat bow.
c. verb trans. Bind so as to imprison; prevent, check, or hinder the free movement or working of. LME.
d. verb trans. Surgery. Bind and constrict (an artery or vein) with a ligature to stop the flow of blood through it. L16.
e. verb trans. Make or form (a knot, bow, etc.) by tying. M17.
E. Darwin We tie a knot on our handkerchiefs to bring something into our minds.
f. verb intrans. Admit of being tied or fastened. M19.
A. D. Sedgwick Straightly falling dress..tying..at the waist with a loosely knotted sash.
a. verb trans. Join or connect (to) with material or immaterial links; spec. (a) Architecture hold (rafters etc.) together with a crosspiece or tie; (b) (now dial.) unite in marriage; (c) N. Amer. brace (a railway track) with sleepers. OE.
W. Lithgow Peloponnesus..is tied to the continent by an Istmus. S. O'Casey It's a terrible thing to be tied to a woman that's always grousin'. W. March Her life was forever tied to his.
b. verb trans. Music. Connect (written notes) by a tie or ligature. Also, perform (two notes) as one unbroken note. L16.
c. verb intrans. (Of a dog and bitch) remain linked or locked together for a period during copulation; (of a dog) be linked with a bitch in this way. E20.
d. verb trans. Philately. Associate (a stamp) with an envelope or cover by overprinting the cancellation on both. M20.
verb trans. Restrain or constrain to or from an action etc.; limit or restrict as to behaviour, location, conditions, etc. ME.
R. Holme The White Friers..were tyed to Fasting, Silence, and Canonical hours.
b. Enslave (lit. & fig.). LME-E17.
c. Bind or oblige (to a person for a service, to do something). Usu. in pass. Now arch. & dial. L16.
d. Restrict (a business, dealer, etc.) to a particular source for articles sold. Chiefly as TIED adjective1. E19.
e. Impose conditions on (foreign aid), esp. by restricting use to purchases from the source country. Freq. as TIED adjective1. M20.
verb trans. Make sure, confirm, ratify. Long rare or obsolete. E17.
a. verb intrans. Finish a contest etc. equal in score or place (with a competitor). L17.
P. Larkin Cream Cracker and another competitor had tied for third place.
b. verb trans. Match or equal (a competitor, an existing record or score) in a contest etc. Chiefly N. Amer. M18.
New York Times Real Madrid tied Internazionale of Milan, 1-1.
verb intrans. Hunting. Of a hound: linger on the scent instead of following it swiftly; loiter, lag. L18.
Phrases: can you tie that? US slang = can you beat it? s.v. BEAT verb1 5. fit to be tied: see FIT adjective. have one's hands tied: see HAND noun. ride and tie: see RIDE verb. tie a can on, tie a can to slang reject or dismiss (a person), stop (an activity). tie hand and foot: see HAND noun. tie in knots: see KNOT noun1. tie one on slang (chiefly N. Amer.) get drunk. tie the hands of deprive of freedom of action. tie the knot colloq. get married; perform the marriage ceremony. tie the rap on: see RAP noun1. tied to the apron-strings of: see APRON-STRING.
With adverbs & prepositions in specialized senses: tie down (a) fasten down or confine by tying; (b) fig. limit or restrict (to), esp. by responsibilities etc.; commit (to). tie in (a) join to an existing structure or network; associate or be associated (with); (b) be in accordance or agreement (with). tie into US colloq. get to work vigorously on; consume (food or drink) enthusiastically. tie off (a) close (a tubular vessel) by tying something around it; (b) secure or make fast (a rope or line). tie to US colloq. rely on, trust in, attach oneself to. tie up (a) bind or fasten securely with a cord or band; (b) confine or secure (a person or animal) by tying or binding (to a fixed object etc.); (c) obstruct, prevent from acting freely; engage in unavoidable business etc., hold up, (usu. in pass.); (d) moor (a ship or boat); (e) invest or reserve (capital) so as to prevent immediate use; (f) associate or unite with or to; (g) bring (an undertaking etc.) to a satisfactory conclusion; (h) be in accordance or connected with.