lig•a•ture
Pronunciation: (lig'u-chur, -choor"), [key] — n., v., -tured, -tur•ing.
—n. - the act of binding or tying up: The ligature of the artery was done with skill.
- anything that serves for binding or tying up, as a band, bandage, or cord.
- a tie or bond: the ligature of mutual need that bound them together.
- a stroke or bar connecting two letters.
- a character or type combining two or more letters, as fi and ffi.
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- slur.
- a group of notes connected by a slur.
- a metal band for securing the reed of a clarinet or saxophone to the mouthpiece.
- a thread or wire for constriction of blood vessels or for removing tumors by strangulation.
—v.t. - to bind with a ligature; tie up; ligate.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.