TIE (tying)

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does tie mean? 

• TIE (noun)
  The noun TIE has 9 senses:

1. neckwear consisting of a long narrow piece of material worn (mostly by men) under a collar and tied in knot at the front

2. a social or business relationship

3. equality of score in a contest

4. a horizontal beam used to prevent two other structural members from spreading apart or separating

5. a fastener that serves to join or connect

6. the finish of a contest in which the score is tied and the winner is undecided

7. (music) a slur over two notes of the same pitch; indicates that the note is to be sustained for their combined time value

8. one of the cross braces that support the rails on a railway track

9. a cord (or string or ribbon or wire etc.) with which something is tied

  Familiarity information: TIE used as a noun is familiar.

• TIE (verb)
  The verb TIE has 9 senses:

1. fasten or secure with a rope, string, or cord

2. finish a game with an equal number of points, goals, etc.

3. limit or restrict to

4. connect, fasten, or put together two or more pieces

5. form a knot or bow in

6. create social or emotional ties

7. perform a marriage ceremony

8. make by tying pieces together

9. unite musical notes by a tie

  Familiarity information: TIE used as a verb is familiar.

 Dictionary entry details 

• TIE (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Neckwear consisting of a long narrow piece of material worn (mostly by men) under a collar and tied in knot at the front

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Synonyms:

necktie; tie

Context example:

he wore a vest and tie

Hypernyms ("tie" is a kind of...):

neckwear (articles of clothing worn about the neck)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "tie"):

bola; bola tie; bolo; bolo tie (a cord fastened around the neck with an ornamental clasp and worn as a necktie)

bow-tie; bow tie; bowtie (a man's tie that ties in a bow)

four-in-hand (a long necktie that is tied in a slipknot with one end hanging in front of the other)

old school tie (necktie indicating the school the wearer attended)

string tie (a very narrow necktie usually tied in a bow)

Windsor tie (a wide necktie worn in a loose bow)

Derivation:

tie (form a knot or bow in)

Sense 2

Meaning:

A social or business relationship

Classified under:

Nouns denoting stable states of affairs

Synonyms:

affiliation; association; tie; tie-up

Context example:

many close associations with England

Hypernyms ("tie" is a kind of...):

relationship (a state involving mutual dealings between people or parties or countries)

Derivation:

tie (limit or restrict to)

tie (create social or emotional ties)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Equality of score in a contest

Classified under:

Nouns denoting stable states of affairs

Hypernyms ("tie" is a kind of...):

equality; equation; equivalence; par (a state of being essentially equal or equivalent; equally balanced)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "tie"):

deuce (a tie in tennis or table tennis that requires winning two successive points to win the game)

Sense 4

Meaning:

A horizontal beam used to prevent two other structural members from spreading apart or separating

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Synonyms:

tie; tie beam

Context example:

he nailed the rafters together with a tie beam

Hypernyms ("tie" is a kind of...):

beam (long thick piece of wood or metal or concrete, etc., used in construction)

Sense 5

Meaning:

A fastener that serves to join or connect

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Synonyms:

link; linkup; tie; tie-in

Context example:

the walls are held together with metal links placed in the wet mortar during construction

Hypernyms ("tie" is a kind of...):

fastener; fastening; fixing; holdfast (restraint that attaches to something or holds something in place)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "tie"):

bridge; nosepiece (the link between two lenses; rests on the nose)

Derivation:

tie (connect, fasten, or put together two or more pieces)

tie (fasten or secure with a rope, string, or cord)

Sense 6

Meaning:

The finish of a contest in which the score is tied and the winner is undecided

Classified under:

Nouns denoting natural events

Synonyms:

draw; standoff; tie

Context example:

their record was 3 wins, 6 losses and a tie

Hypernyms ("tie" is a kind of...):

finish (designated event that concludes a contest (especially a race))

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "tie"):

dead heat (a tie in a race)

stalemate (drawing position in chess: any of a player's possible moves would place his king in check)

Derivation:

tie (finish a game with an equal number of points, goals, etc.)

Sense 7

Meaning:

(music) a slur over two notes of the same pitch; indicates that the note is to be sustained for their combined time value

Classified under:

Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents

Hypernyms ("tie" is a kind of...):

slur ((music) a curved line spanning notes that are to be played legato)

Domain category:

music (an artistic form of auditory communication incorporating instrumental or vocal tones in a structured and continuous manner)

Derivation:

tie (unite musical notes by a tie)

Sense 8

Meaning:

One of the cross braces that support the rails on a railway track

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Synonyms:

crosstie; railroad tie; sleeper; tie

Context example:

the British call a railroad tie a sleeper

Hypernyms ("tie" is a kind of...):

brace; bracing (a structural member used to stiffen a framework)

Holonyms ("tie" is a part of...):

railroad; railroad track; railway (a line of track providing a runway for wheels)

Sense 9

Meaning:

A cord (or string or ribbon or wire etc.) with which something is tied

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Context example:

he needed a tie for the packages

Hypernyms ("tie" is a kind of...):

cord (a line made of twisted fibers or threads)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "tie"):

drawing string; drawstring; string (a tie consisting of a cord that goes through a seam around an opening)

Derivation:

tie (fasten or secure with a rope, string, or cord)

• TIE (verb)

Conjugation:

Sense 1

Meaning:

Fasten or secure with a rope, string, or cord

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Synonyms:

bind; tie

Context example:

They tied their victim to the chair

Hypernyms (to "tie" is one way to...):

fasten; fix; secure (cause to be firmly attached)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "tie"):

lace; lace up (draw through eyes or holes)

band (bind or tie together, as with a band)

lash (bind with a rope, chain, or cord)

knot (tie or fasten into a knot)

strap (tie with a strap)

leash; rope (fasten with a rope)

lash together (bind together with a cord or rope)

cord (bind or tie with a cord)

loop (fasten or join with a loop)

bind off; tie up (finish the last row)

retie (tie again or anew)

gag; muzzle (tie a gag around someone's mouth in order to silence them)

truss (tie the wings and legs of a bird before cooking it)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody
Somebody ----s something to somebody
Somebody ----s somebody PP
Somebody ----s something PP

Antonym:

untie (undo the ties of)

Also:

tie down; tie up (secure with or as if with ropes)

Derivation:

tie (a fastener that serves to join or connect)

tying (the act of tying or binding things together)

tier (a worker who ties something)

tier (something that is used for tying)

tie (a cord (or string or ribbon or wire etc.) with which something is tied)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Finish a game with an equal number of points, goals, etc.

Classified under:

Verbs of fighting, athletic activities

Synonyms:

draw; tie

Context example:

The teams drew a tie

Hypernyms (to "tie" is one way to...):

equal; equalise; equalize; equate; match (make equal, uniform, corresponding, or matching)

"Tie" entails doing...:

play (participate in games or sport)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s

Derivation:

tie (the finish of a contest in which the score is tied and the winner is undecided)

tier (any one of two or more competitors who tie one another)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Limit or restrict to

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Context example:

These big jets are tied to large airports

Hypernyms (to "tie" is one way to...):

bound; confine; limit; restrict; throttle; trammel (place limits on (extent or amount or access))

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s somebody PP
Somebody ----s something PP

Derivation:

tie (a social or business relationship)

Sense 4

Meaning:

Connect, fasten, or put together two or more pieces

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Synonyms:

connect; link; link up; tie

Context example:

Link arms

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "tie"):

daisy-chain (connect devices on a part of a chip or circuit board in a computer)

bridge; bridge over (connect or reduce the distance between)

hang together; interdepend (be connected)

hitch (connect to a vehicle:)

put through (connect by telephone)

tee (connect with a tee)

interconnect; interlink (cause to be interconnected or interwoven)

tie (unite musical notes by a tie)

attach (cause to be attached)

join (cause to become joined or linked)

ground (connect to a ground)

conjoin; join (make contact or come together)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody PP
Somebody ----s something PP

Derivation:

tie (a fastener that serves to join or connect)

Sense 5

Meaning:

Form a knot or bow in

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Context example:

tie a necktie

Hypernyms (to "tie" is one way to...):

form; shape (give shape or form to)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Derivation:

tie (neckwear consisting of a long narrow piece of material worn (mostly by men) under a collar and tied in knot at the front)

Sense 6

Meaning:

Create social or emotional ties

Classified under:

Verbs of political and social activities and events

Synonyms:

attach; bind; bond; tie

Context example:

The grandparents want to bond with the child

Hypernyms (to "tie" is one way to...):

relate (have or establish a relationship to)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "tie"):

fixate (attach (oneself) to a person or thing in a neurotic way)

befriend (become friends with)

Sentence frame:

Something ----s somebody

Derivation:

tie (a social or business relationship)

Sense 7

Meaning:

Perform a marriage ceremony

Classified under:

Verbs of political and social activities and events

Synonyms:

marry; splice; tie; wed

Context example:

The couple got spliced on Hawaii

Hypernyms (to "tie" is one way to...):

officiate (act in an official capacity in a ceremony or religious ritual, such as a wedding)

Verb group:

conjoin; espouse; get hitched with; get married; hook up with; marry; wed (take in marriage)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "tie"):

solemnise; solemnize (perform (the wedding ceremony) with proper ceremonies)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s somebody

Sense 8

Meaning:

Make by tying pieces together

Classified under:

Verbs of sewing, baking, painting, performing

Context example:

The fishermen tied their flies

Hypernyms (to "tie" is one way to...):

fashion; forge (make out of components (often in an improvising manner))

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Derivation:

tying (the act of tying or binding things together)

Sense 9

Meaning:

Unite musical notes by a tie

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Hypernyms (to "tie" is one way to...):

connect; link; link up; tie (connect, fasten, or put together two or more pieces)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Derivation:

tie ((music) a slur over two notes of the same pitch; indicates that the note is to be sustained for their combined time value)

 Context examples 

The most unusual thing of all, as it seems to me, is that the lady should be tied to the chair.

(The Return of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

He had never been so tongue-tied in his life.

(Martin Eden, by Jack London)

But I don’t know why it should be tied.

(The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

She was tied, but he could not get away from her easily.

(White Fang, by Jack London)

"I'm glad of it!" muttered Jo, tying on her hat with a jerk.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)

I have locked the door, and the key is tied to my wrist, so perhaps I shall not be again disturbed.

(Dracula, by Bram Stoker)

She carried me on her lap, in a box tied about her waist.

(Gulliver's Travels into several remote nations of the world, by Jonathan Swift)

Last month an important new moon solar eclipse occurred on December 25, which is tied directly to this trend.

(AstrologyZone.com, by Susan Miller)

The process of tying off blood vessels so that blood cannot flow to a part of the body or to a tumor.

(Ligation, NCI Dictionary)

The results provide a powerful map to pin brain areas to genes tied to neurodevelopmental disorders and human-specific brain functions.

(An Atlas of the Developing Human Brain, NIH)