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 : bond2: the action of binding or tying3: a compound note in mensural notation indicating a group of musical notes to be sung to one syllable4: a printed or written character (as æ or ^ƒƒ) consisting of two or more letters or characters joined together