Also 7 ligator. [ad. L. ligātūra, f. ligāre to bind. Cf. F. ligature.]
1. Anything used in binding or tying; a band, bandage, tie. Chiefly spec. in Surgery, a thread or cord used to tie up a bleeding artery, to strangulate a tumor, etc.
c. 1400. Lanfranc’s Cirurg., 82. Also it is good to … streyne þi ligature at þe ground of þi wounde, & bynde it losely at þe mouþ of þe wounde.
1541. R. Copland, Guydon’s Quest. Chirurg., H iij b. Let it … be cut in the myddes of the lygature and let the nether parte be left.
1621. Burton, Anat. Mel., II. i. I. i. Whether … by spells,… ligatures, philtures, incantations, &c. this Disease … may be cured.
1624. Wotton, Archit., in Reliq. (1651), 269. The Cover is … a kind of Band or Ligature to the whole Fabrick.
1650. Bulwer, Anthropomet., 102. The fillets and ligatures that … Nurses use to bind them flat unto the Head.
1726. Swift, Gulliver, I. i. I likewise felt several slender ligatures across my body.
1805. Foster, Ess., II. ii. 132. The ligatures which the Olympic pugilists bound on their hands and wrists.
1825. Scott, Betrothed, xvii. It is impossible that my bandage or ligature, knit by these fingers, should have started.
1846. J. Baxter, Libr. Pract. Agric. (ed. 4), II. 277. The ligature [for the artery of a sheep] should generally be made of waxed silk.
1896. Treves, Syst. Surg., I. 217. The finest sulpho-chromic catgut forms a trustworthy ligature.
b. fig. Anything binding or uniting; a bond, tie.
1627. H. Burton, Baiting Pope’s Bull, Ep. Ded. 9. No ligatures of lawes can long hold them.
1633. T. Stafford, Pac. Hib., To Rdr. (1821), 1. History … the common bond and ligature, which unites present time with all ages past.
1642. Jer. Taylor, Episc. (1647), 329. The Bishop is the band, and ligature of the Churches Unity.
1827. Examiner, 689/1. The ligatures which connect hin with the narrative which be delivers are very artificial.
2. = LIGAMENT 2. Not now in good use.
c. 1400. Lanfranc’s Cirurg., 177. Þis hipe boon … is maad fast aboue wiþ ligaturis & pannyclis & nerues.
1641. Wilkins, Math. Magick, I. v. (1648), 29. The Ligatures for the strengthning of them [nerves], that they may not flag and languish in their motions.
1648. Sanderson, Serm., II. 225. It is said of Belshazzar, Dan. 5 … that the joynts (bindings or ligatures) of his loyns were loosed.
1875. Buckland, Log-bk., 175. The [snake’s] eggs were not held by a ligature, but appeared pasted together by some strong adhesive gum.
3. The action of tying; an instance of this. Also, the result of the action or operation; a tie or the place where it is made. a. Surg.
1541. R. Copland, Guydon’s Quest. Chirurg., L j b. Howe many maners of lygatures or rollynges ben there and howe ought they to be made?
1597. Lowe, Chirurg. (1634), 93. In amputation … I finde the ligator reasonable sure, providing it be quickly done.
1793. Beddoes, Calculus, 212. Mr. Hamilton made three ligatures in the jugular vein of a cat.
1846. Brittan, trans. Malgaigne’s Man. Oper. Surg., iii. 17. Ligature was known amongst the ancients for the removal of pedunculated tumours.
1896. Treves, Syst. Surg., I. 540. The ligature of a main artery in its continuity so lessens the pressure of the blood [etc.].
b. gen. The action of binding up or tying.
1651. Wittie, trans. Primrose’s Pop. Err., IV. xlviii. 406. Some doe annoint the weapon, and binde it up carefully…. Neverthelesse, some say, that by the onely dipping of the weapon into the box of ointment, without any ligature, they have performed a cure.
1712. Arbuthnot, John Bull, III. iii. The fatal noose … with the most strict ligature squeezed the blood into his face.
1872. Baker, Nile Tribut., viii. 137. A tight ligature was made behind each stone.
4. Mus. A method of indicating the connection or binding of notes into groups, as a guide to their rendering by the executant. In ancient notation, a compound note-form expressing two or more tones to be sung to one syllable. † In ligature: (of notes) connected in this way. In mod. notation: a TIE or SLUR. In Counterpoint: a SYNCOPATION.
1597. Morley, Introd. Mus., 9. Phi. But how if it haue a tayle on the right side? Ma. Then it is as though it were not in Ligature and is a Long. Ibid., Annot., Ligatures were deuised for the Ditties sake, so that how manye notes serued for one syllable, so many notes were tied together.
1609. Douland, Ornithop. Microl., 40. A Ligature is the conioyning of simple Figures [notes] by fit strokes.
1753. Chambers, Cycl. Supp., s.v., Hence syncopes are often called ligatures, because they are made by the ligature of many notes.
1782. Burney, Hist. Mus. (1789), II. iii. 183. Ligatures or binding notes.
1848. Craig, Ligature, in Music, a binding indicated by a curved line.
1880. Rockstro, in Grove, Dict. Mus., II. 136. Ligature, a passage of two or more notes, sung to a single syllable. Ibid., 138. In some old printed books, the last note of a Ligature is placed obliquely, in which case it is always to be sung as a Breve.
5. In Writing and Printing. Two or more letters joined together and forming one character or type; a monogram. Also, a stroke connecting two letters. In ligature, combined in one character or type.
1693. Phil. Trans., XVII. 887. These Ligatures have been a long time Thorns in the Eyes of all that first learn Greek.
1731. Bailey, vol. II., Ligatures [with Printers], types consisting of two letters, as ff, fi, fl, &c.
1773. Swinton, in Phil. Trans., LXIV. 326. As for the Greeks, nothing is more common than ligatures, or monograms, on their coins.
1880. Warren, Book-plates, xii. 137. The two initials … are in ligature.
1883. I. Taylor, Alphabet, I. v. 263. In the earlier monumental scripts the letters are separate, but in some of the Egyptian papyri certain letters are united by ligatures.
1885. Cook, trans. Sievers’ O. E. Gram. (1887), 5. The ligatures and diphthongs … are never geminated.
1896. J. C. Egbert, Lat. Inscript., 67. The use of ligatures … are common in Gallic inscriptions from the first century A.D.… Ligatures of Three Letters.
† 6. Binding quality; also concr., that which has this quality. Obs.
1675. Evelyn, Terra (1676), 100. Salt it is which gives ligature, weight, and constitution to things.
1727. Bradley, Fam. Dict., s.v. Fir tree, They grow in moist or barren Gravel, and poor Ground, if not over sandy and light, without any loamy Ligature.
† 7. The state of being bound; suspension of the intellectual or physical powers (see quots.). Obs.
1727–41. Chambers, Cycl., Ligature, among mystic divines, signifies a total suspension of the superior faculties, or intellectual powers of the soul…. This passive state of these contemplative people they call their ligature. Ligature, is also used for a state of impotency, in respect to venery, caused by some charm, or witchcraft.
