Main Entry: lig·a·ture

Pronunciation: \ˈli-gə-ˌchu̇r, -chər, -ˌtu̇r, -ˌtyu̇r\

Function: noun

Etymology: Middle English, from Late Latin ligatura, from Latin ligatus, past participle of ligare to bind, tie; akin to Albanian lidh I tie

Date: 14th century

1 a : something that is used to bind; specifically : a filament (as a thread) used in surgery b : something that unites or connects : bond
2 : the action of binding or tying
3 : a compound note in mensural notation indicating a group of musical notes to be sung to one syllable
4 : a printed or written character (as æ or ^ƒƒ) consisting of two or more letters or characters joined together