tie
♦♦ tie /t'aɪ/ (ties tying tied)
1 [VERB] V n adv/prep, V n
If you tie two things together or tie them, you fasten them together with a knot.
He tied the ends of the plastic bag together...
Mr Saunders tied her hands and feet.
2 [VERB] V n to n, V n prep/adv
If you tie something or someone in a particular place or position, you put them there and fasten them using rope or string.
He had tied the dog to one of the trees near the canal...
He tied her hands behind her back.
3 [VERB] V n prep/adv, V n with n, V-ed
If you tie a piece of string or cloth around something or tie something with a piece of string or cloth, you put the piece of string or cloth around it and fasten the ends together.
She tied her scarf over her head...
Roll the meat and tie it with string...
Dad handed me a big box wrapped in gold foil and tied with a red ribbon.
4 [VERB] V n, V n in n, V-ed
If you tie a knot or bow in something or tie something in a knot or bow, you fasten the ends together.
He took a short length of rope and swiftly tied a slip knot...
She tied a knot in her scarf...
She wore a checked shirt tied in a knot above the navel.
5 [VERB] V n, V
When you tie something or when something ties, you close or fasten it using a bow or knot.
He pulled on his heavy suede shoes and tied the laces.
...a long white thing around his neck that tied in front in a floppy bow.
6 [N-COUNT]
A tie is a long narrow piece of cloth that is worn round the neck under a shirt collar and tied in a knot at the front. Ties are worn mainly by men.
Jason had taken off his jacket and loosened his tie.
7 [VERB] usu passive, be V-ed to n, pl-n be V-ed
If one thing is tied to another or two things are tied, the two things have a close connection or link.
Their cancers are not so clearly tied to radiation exposure...
My social life and business life are closely tied.
= link, connect
8 [VERB] usu passive, be V-ed to n/-ing
If you are tied to a particular place or situation, you are forced to accept it and cannot change it.
They had children and were consequently tied to the school holidays...
9 [N-COUNT] usu pl, oft N prep
Ties are the connections you have with people or a place.
Quebec has always had particularly close ties to France...
= connection
10 [N-COUNT]
Railroad ties are large heavy beams that support the rails of a railway track. (AM; in BRIT, use sleepers)
11 [V-RECIP] pl-n V, V with n
If two people tie in a competition or game or if they tie with each other, they have the same number of points or the same degree of success.
Both teams had tied on points and goal difference...
Ronan Rafferty had tied with Frank Nobilo.
= draw
[N-COUNT]
Tie is also a noun.
The first game ended in a tie.
12 [N-COUNT]
In sport, a tie is a match that is part of a competition. The losers leave the competition and the winners go on to the next round. (mainly BRIT)
They'll meet the winners of the first round tie.
13
your hands are tied: see hand
to tie the knot: see knot
to tie yourself in knots: see knot
see also tied, black tie, old school tie, old school tieblack tie
also black-tie
1 [ADJ] usu ADJ n
A black tie event is a formal social event such as a party at which people wear formal clothes called evening dress.
...a black-tie dinner for former students.
2 [N-UNCOUNT]
If a man is dressed in black tie, he is wearing formal evening dress, which includes a dinner jacket or tuxedo and a bow tie.
Most of the guests will be wearing black tie.bow tie /b'oʊ t'aɪ/ (bow ties)
also bow-tie
[N-COUNT]
A bow tie is a tie in the form of a bow. Bow ties are worn by men, especially for formal occasions.cup tie (cup ties)
also cup-tie
[N-COUNT]
In sports, especially football, a cup tie is a match between two teams who are taking part in a competition in which the prize is a cup. (BRIT)old school tie
[N-SING] the N
When people talk about the old school tie, they are referring to the situation in which people who attended the same public school use their positions of influence to help each other. (BRIT)
Of course, the old school tie has been a help.tie down
[PHRASAL VERB] V n P, V n P
A person or thing that ties you down restricts your freedom in some way.
We'd agreed from the beginning not to tie each other down...
The reason he didn't have a family was that he didn't want to be tied down.tie up
1 [PHRASAL VERB] V P n (not pron), also V n P
When you tie something up, you fasten string or rope round it so that it is firm or secure.
He tied up the bag and took it outside.
2 [PHRASAL VERB] V n P, V P n (not pron)
If someone ties another person up, they fasten ropes or chains around them so that they cannot move or escape.
Masked robbers broke in, tied him up, and made off with $8,000...
At about 5 a.m. they struck again in Fetcham, tying up a couple and ransacking their house.
3 [PHRASAL VERB] V n P, V P n (not pron)
If you tie an animal up, you fasten it to a fixed object with a piece of rope so that it cannot run away.
Would you go and tie your horse up please...
They dismounted, tied up their horses and gave them the grain they had brought.
= tether
4 [PHRASAL VERB] V P n (not pron), V n P
If you tie up an issue or problem, you deal with it in a way that gives definite conclusions or answers.
Kingfisher confirmed that it hopes to tie up a deal within the next two weeks...
We could have tied the whole case up without getting you and Smith shot at.
5
see also tied up, tie-up
1 [VERB] V n adv/prep, V n
If you tie two things together or tie them, you fasten them together with a knot.
He tied the ends of the plastic bag together...
Mr Saunders tied her hands and feet.
2 [VERB] V n to n, V n prep/adv
If you tie something or someone in a particular place or position, you put them there and fasten them using rope or string.
He had tied the dog to one of the trees near the canal...
He tied her hands behind her back.
3 [VERB] V n prep/adv, V n with n, V-ed
If you tie a piece of string or cloth around something or tie something with a piece of string or cloth, you put the piece of string or cloth around it and fasten the ends together.
She tied her scarf over her head...
Roll the meat and tie it with string...
Dad handed me a big box wrapped in gold foil and tied with a red ribbon.
4 [VERB] V n, V n in n, V-ed
If you tie a knot or bow in something or tie something in a knot or bow, you fasten the ends together.
He took a short length of rope and swiftly tied a slip knot...
She tied a knot in her scarf...
She wore a checked shirt tied in a knot above the navel.
5 [VERB] V n, V
When you tie something or when something ties, you close or fasten it using a bow or knot.
He pulled on his heavy suede shoes and tied the laces.
...a long white thing around his neck that tied in front in a floppy bow.
6 [N-COUNT]
A tie is a long narrow piece of cloth that is worn round the neck under a shirt collar and tied in a knot at the front. Ties are worn mainly by men.
Jason had taken off his jacket and loosened his tie.
7 [VERB] usu passive, be V-ed to n, pl-n be V-ed
If one thing is tied to another or two things are tied, the two things have a close connection or link.
Their cancers are not so clearly tied to radiation exposure...
My social life and business life are closely tied.
= link, connect
8 [VERB] usu passive, be V-ed to n/-ing
If you are tied to a particular place or situation, you are forced to accept it and cannot change it.
They had children and were consequently tied to the school holidays...
9 [N-COUNT] usu pl, oft N prep
Ties are the connections you have with people or a place.
Quebec has always had particularly close ties to France...
= connection
10 [N-COUNT]
Railroad ties are large heavy beams that support the rails of a railway track. (AM; in BRIT, use sleepers)
11 [V-RECIP] pl-n V, V with n
If two people tie in a competition or game or if they tie with each other, they have the same number of points or the same degree of success.
Both teams had tied on points and goal difference...
Ronan Rafferty had tied with Frank Nobilo.
= draw
[N-COUNT]
Tie is also a noun.
The first game ended in a tie.
12 [N-COUNT]
In sport, a tie is a match that is part of a competition. The losers leave the competition and the winners go on to the next round. (mainly BRIT)
They'll meet the winners of the first round tie.
13
your hands are tied: see hand
to tie the knot: see knot
to tie yourself in knots: see knot
see also tied, black tie, old school tie, old school tieblack tie
also black-tie
1 [ADJ] usu ADJ n
A black tie event is a formal social event such as a party at which people wear formal clothes called evening dress.
...a black-tie dinner for former students.
2 [N-UNCOUNT]
If a man is dressed in black tie, he is wearing formal evening dress, which includes a dinner jacket or tuxedo and a bow tie.
Most of the guests will be wearing black tie.bow tie /b'oʊ t'aɪ/ (bow ties)
also bow-tie
[N-COUNT]
A bow tie is a tie in the form of a bow. Bow ties are worn by men, especially for formal occasions.cup tie (cup ties)
also cup-tie
[N-COUNT]
In sports, especially football, a cup tie is a match between two teams who are taking part in a competition in which the prize is a cup. (BRIT)old school tie
[N-SING] the N
When people talk about the old school tie, they are referring to the situation in which people who attended the same public school use their positions of influence to help each other. (BRIT)
Of course, the old school tie has been a help.tie down
[PHRASAL VERB] V n P, V n P
A person or thing that ties you down restricts your freedom in some way.
We'd agreed from the beginning not to tie each other down...
The reason he didn't have a family was that he didn't want to be tied down.tie up
1 [PHRASAL VERB] V P n (not pron), also V n P
When you tie something up, you fasten string or rope round it so that it is firm or secure.
He tied up the bag and took it outside.
2 [PHRASAL VERB] V n P, V P n (not pron)
If someone ties another person up, they fasten ropes or chains around them so that they cannot move or escape.
Masked robbers broke in, tied him up, and made off with $8,000...
At about 5 a.m. they struck again in Fetcham, tying up a couple and ransacking their house.
3 [PHRASAL VERB] V n P, V P n (not pron)
If you tie an animal up, you fasten it to a fixed object with a piece of rope so that it cannot run away.
Would you go and tie your horse up please...
They dismounted, tied up their horses and gave them the grain they had brought.
= tether
4 [PHRASAL VERB] V P n (not pron), V n P
If you tie up an issue or problem, you deal with it in a way that gives definite conclusions or answers.
Kingfisher confirmed that it hopes to tie up a deal within the next two weeks...
We could have tied the whole case up without getting you and Smith shot at.
5
see also tied up, tie-up