Inflected tied, tying. Forms: see below. [In the α-forms, OE. tíʓan, for OWS. *tíeʓan:—*téaʓ-jan to bind, f. téaʓ rope: see TIE sb.: cf. ON. teygja to draw. The ME. β-forms are commonly held to represent a non-WSax. (Mercian) form *téʓan (for *tíeʓan); but cf. ME. ēi and i forms under EYE, HIGH.]
A. Illustration of Forms.
1. Pres. stem. α. 1 tíʓ-an, 3–4 tiȝ-en, 4 tyȝe, tyen, 4–9 tye, 6–7 ty; 4– tie. Pr. pple. tying.
c. 1000. Tiʓan [see B. 1].
c. 1000. Ælfric, Gram., xliv. (Z.), 258. Hu þes dæl tiʓð þa word togædere.
c. 1275. Lay., 20997. And tiȝe heom to-gædere.
1377. Langl., P. Pl., B. I. 96. And taken transgressores and tyen hem faste. Ibid., III. 139. And tieth hym faste.
1563. Golding, Cæsar, V. (1565), 138. He aduised him to tie the letter to the thong of a Iaueling, & so to throw it into his camp.
1570. Satir. Poems Reform., xxii. 92. To ty on tre.
1618. Ralegh, in Four C. Eng. Lett. (1880), 38. Tyenge them back to backe.
1729. G. Adams, trans. Sophocl., Antiq., II. iv. II. 32. If Fear did not tye their Tongues.
β. 3 teȝ-en, 3–4 teiȝ-en, tei-e(n, 4–6 teye, teie, 5 tey-yn, tey, tegh, 6–7 taye, 7 tay, 9 dial. tee.
c. 1205. Lay., 20997. And teien heom to-gadere.
c. 1250. Hymn Virg., 59, in Trin. Coll. Hom., 257. Herre teȝen he him nolde.
c. 1330. R. Brunne, Chron. Wace (Rolls), 11187. Many fair palfray & stede … to wype, & to mangers teye.
1362. Langl., P. Pl., A. I. 94. And teiȝen hem faste.
1387. Trevisa, Higden (Rolls), IV. 79. Reynes … to teie wiþ oþer oxen.
c. 1440. Promp. Parv., 487/2. Teyyn wythe bondys.
c. 1440. Gesta Rom., xxiii. 81 (Harl. MS.). Tey him to Tailles of hors.
1533. More, Answ. Poysoned Bk., Wks. 1041/2. Sampson tayeng the Foxes together.
1664. Earl of Tyrconnel, Lett. to Lauderdale, 14 Nov. (in Daniell’s Catal., July (1904), 37/2). That wee should taye them all bellye to bellye and throwe them in the sea.
2. Pa. t. α. [1 *tíʓede, 3–4 *tiȝede, *tyȝede], 5–8 tyed, (5–6 -it, 6 tight), 6–7 ty’d, 7– tied.
c. 1400, 1513. Tyed [see B 1, 1 b].
c. 1470. Golagros & Gaw., 61. His hors he tyit to ane tre.
1596. Spenser, F. Q., VI. xii. 34. Thereunto a great long chaine he tight.
1604. E. G[rimstone], D’Acosta’s Hist. Indies, VI. xiv. 461. The bridges … which they tied to the bankes.
1686. trans. Chardin’s Trav. Persia, 141. Forces, that ty’d his Hands.
1720. Ozell, Vertot’s Rom. Rep., I. v. 296. Grief … tyed his Tongue.
β. 3 teide, 5 teyde, teghit, tayed.
c. 1290. S. Eng. Leg., I. 29/91. Huy … teiden ane rop a boute is necke.
c. 1400. Destr. Troy, 3523. The kyng … teghit her in yernes.
c. 1400. Three Kings Cologne, 26. Byside þat ox Ioseph teyde his asse.
1470–85. Malory, Arthur, I. iii. 41. Sir Arthur … tayed his hors to the style.
3. Pa. pple. α. 1 ʓe-tiʓ(ʓ)ed, 3–4 i-tiȝed, ityȝed, tyȝed, 5 Sc. tichit, ticht; 4–9 tyed, 6 tiede, 6–7 tyde, tide, 7–8 ty’d, 4– tied.
c. 1000. Ælfric, Hom., II. 62. An ramm … ʓetiʓed be ðam hornum.
c. 1000. Ags. Gosp., Matt. xxi. 2. & þonne sona finde ʓyt ane assene ʓe-tiʓʓede [c. 1160 Hatton Gosp. ʓe-teiʓʓede [v.r. ʓeteʓʓede]].
c. 1275. I-tiȝed, c. 1320 I-tyȝed [see B. 1].
13[?]. Tyȝed [see B. 4].
1382. Wyclif, Mark xi. 2. A colt tyed [1388 tied].
c. 1450. Holland, Howlat, 403. With tuscheis of trast silk tichit to the tre.
c. 1475. Rauf Coilȝear, 457. Ane Tyger ticht to ane tre.
1590. Spenser, F. Q., I. vi. 21. In sacred bonds of wedlock tyde.
1608, 1688. Tyed [see B. 5].
1699. J. Lowthorp, Exper., in Misc. Cur. (1708), II. 198. There was a Bladder ty’d below each Joint … and when it was fill’d with Water it was ty’d above it.
1718. Ty’d, 1816 Tyed [see B. 1].
β. 2 ʓe-teʓʓed, -teiʓʓed, 3 i-teied, -et, iteid, 3–4 teid, 4 yteyd, teiȝed, teied, teyde, 4–6 teyed, 5 teyghte, 6 teyd, tay(e)d, 9 dial. teed.
c. 1160. ʓete[i]ʓʓed [see α].
c. 1200. Trin. Coll. Hom., 181. Iteied [see B. 5]. Ibid., 217. Þat me ne sholde none man bitechen bute he were teid to menden chirche.
c. 1230. Hali Meid., 27. Him … þat is … to eni eorðliche þing iteiet.
a. 1250. Owl & Night., 776. An hors … i-teid at mulne dure.
c. 1350. Will. Palerne, 3226. Þe sturnest stede in hire stabul teiȝed. Ibid., 3232. Teied in þe stabul.
c. 1386. Yteyd, 1387 I-teyed [see B. 1 b].
1387. Trevisa, Higden (Rolls), IV. 77. Þe reynes þat þe oxen schulde be teyde by.
1390. Teid [see B. 5 c].
c. 1400. Laud Troy Bk., 518. Eche a man on londe than gos,… And lefft here schip teyghte fast.
1489. Caxton, Faytes of A., I. xvii. 49. Wel teyed with ropys.
1547. Boorde, Introd. Knowl., xiii. (1870), 156. Than am I tonge tayd.
1556. Chron. Gr. Friars (Camden), 98. Browte thorrow Cheppesyde teyd in ropes xxiiijtl tayd to-getheres as herrytykes.
1828. Craven Gloss., Teed, tied.
B. Signification. I. The simple verb.
1. trans. To bind, fasten, make fast (one thing to another, or two or more things together) with a cord, rope, band, or the like, drawn together and knotted; to confine (a person or animal) by fastening to something.
c. 1000. Ælfric, Hom., I. 432. Ualerianus … het tiʓan [Ypolitus] be ðam fotum to unʓetemedra horsa swuran.
c. 1205. Lay., 25972. Twælf swine iteied [c. 1275 itiȝed] to-somme.
a. 1225. Ancr. R., 254. Sansumes foxes … weren bi þe teiles iteied ueste.
c. 1320. Cast. Love, 1130. As fisch … Þat whon þe worm he swoleweþ … He is bi þe hok i-tiȝed [v.r. i-tyȝed] fast.
c. 1400. Laud Troy Bk., 2733. Anker thei caste, And tyed here schippis in that porte And ȝede to londe.
c. 1440. Pallad. on Husb., IV. 752 [772]. Stakes … To teye hem to.
1590. Spenser, F. Q., I. v. 6. Their shining shieldes about their wrestes they tye.
1638. Junius, Paint. Ancients, 154. A great dogge tyed in a chaine.
1718. Pope, Iliad, II. 55. Th’ embroider’d sandals on his feet were ty’d.
1816. Singer, Hist. Cards, I. 52. Such bells were also tyed to Hawks.
b. To draw together the parts of (a single thing) with a knotted cord or the like; to fasten (a part of dress, etc.) in this way, esp. with strings already attached to it (as a bonnet, a shoe); also, to draw together (a cord or the like) into a knot, esp. for the purpose of fastening something.
c. 1386. Chaucer, Prol., 457. Hir hosen were of fyn scarlett reed, Ful streite yteyd.
1387. Trevisa, Higden (Rolls), V. 369. Hire hosen tilled to the hamme, i-teyed wiþ layners al aboute.
1513. More, in Hall, Chron., Rich. III. (1548), 27 b. After which tyme, the prince neuer tyed his pointes.
1592. Shaks., Rom. & Jul., III. i. 31. Did’st thou not fall out … with another, for tying his new shooes with old Riband?
1662. J. Davies, trans. Mandelslo’s Trav., 80. They tye their Garments about with a Girdle.
1716. Addison, Drummer, III. i. He’ll tye a wig.
1819. Shelley, Cenci, V. iv. 159. Tie My girdle for me.
Mod. You must tie the string tighter, or the parcel will come undone.
c. Surg. To bind and constrict (an artery or vein) with a ligature, so as to prevent the flow of blood through it.
1597. [see TIED ppl. a. 1].
1804. Abernethy, Surg. Obs., 195. To tie the more superficial arteries.
1843. R. J. Graves, Syst. Clin. Med., xi. 123. The effects produced by tying the carotid and vertebral arteries.
d. To make or form by tying (a knot, etc.).
1647. Cowley, Mistr., The Tree, v. Go tye the dismal Knot (why shouldst thou live?).
1808. Scott, Marm., I. Introd. 48. The garlands you delight to tie.
1838. Thirlwall, Greece, II. xiv. 200. He tied sixty knots in a leathern thong.
1867. F. Francis, Angling, x. (1880), 340. One of the most difficult things in tying flies.
e. Tie neck and heels: see NECK sb.1 7. Ride and tie: see RIDE v. 22.
2. In figurative phrases. To tie the hands of: to deprive of freedom of action. To tie the knot: to effect a union between two persons or things; esp. to perform the ceremony of marriage. † To tie with St. Mary’s knot: to hamstring (obs.). † To tie to the stake, fig. to put into a position from which there is no escape (obs.). To tie a person’s tongue: to prevent (him) from speaking, to compel to be silent (see also TONGUE-TIED). Tied to a woman’s apron-strings: see APRON-STRING.
1559. Bk. Com. Prayer, Prayers Sev. Occasions. Tyed and bounde with the chayne of oure synnes.
1576. Gascoigne, Compl. Philomene, lxx. (Arb.), 99. Hir swelling sobbes, Did tie hir tong from talke.
1579. Lyly, Euphues (Arb.), 52. Euphues beeing thus tyed to the stake by their importunate intreatie, began as followeth.
a. 1600[?]. Dick o’ the Cow, in Child, Ballads (1861), VI. 72. He has tied them a’ wi’ St. Mary’s knot, A’ these horses but barely three.
1642. Fuller, Holy & Prof. St., V. v. 375. When God intends a Nation shall be beaten, he ties their hands behind them.
1717. Prior, Alma, I. 332. So to the priest their case they tell: He ties the knot.
1781. Cowper, Friendship, 62. A fretful temper will divide The closest knot that may be tied.
1828. [see KNOT sb.1 11 b].
1866. Crump, Banking, ix. 214. It seems very unjust to tie the hands of the directors in so important a particular.
1889. The County, viii. One would have thought that very shame would have tied her tongue.
3. To fasten together, connect, join (material things) in any way; spec. in Arch. to connect and make fast by a rod or beam (cf. TIE sb. 7), or by other means (cf. BOND sb.1 13 a).
1585. T. Washington, trans. Nicholay’s Voy., II. xviii. 51. [A] smal habitation,… made of … glasse, ioyned & tyed together with roddes of Tin.
1632. Lithgow, Trav., II. 67. Peloponnesus … is tied to the continent by an Istmus.
1793. W. H. Marshall, W. England (1796), II. 340. Firm purchases … for the purpose of tying in the front wall.
1851. Ruskin, Stones Ven. (1874), I. xv. 161. Every arch or gable not tied at its base by beams or bars, exercises a lateral pressure upon the walls which sustain it.
b. To check or hinder the free movement or working of: see quots.
1597. A. M., trans. Guillemeau’s Fr. Chirurg., 10/1. Spasmus … with shakinge and quiveringe, with the tonge tiede, and with irremoveable eyes.
1602. Carew, Cornwall, 11. The … Axes and Wedges … (not seldome) are so tied by the teeth, as a good workman shall hardly be able to hew three foote, in the space of so many weekes.
1879. Jefferies, Wild Life S. C., 192. When sawing, the wood operated on often ‘ties’ the saw, as it is called, that is, pinches it—which makes it hard to work.
18[?]. Dogs Gt. Brit. & Amer., 45 (Cent.). There is a want of liberty in the play of the whole shoulder, because the elbow rubs against the ribs…. This is called being tied at the elbow.
c. Mus. To connect (notes) by a tie or ligature: see TIE sb. 6 b, LIGATURE sb. 4.
1597. [see LIGATURE 4].
1662. Playford, Skill Mus., I. viii. (1674), 28. Four or more Quavers are Tyed together by a long Stroke on the top of their Tails. Ibid. [see TIE sb. 6 b].
d. U.S. To furnish (a railway line) with ‘ties’ or sleepers (cf. TIE sb. 7 b).
1883. W. Chester, Pa. Local News, II. No. 234. 1. Forty miles of road. had to be … graded, tied, rails laid.
e. To fasten or fix otherwise (e.g., † with nails).
1500–20. Dunbar, Poems, lxxii. 69. Syne tyit him on with greit irne takkis, And him all nakit on the tre Thai raisit on loft.
Mod. The brick facing of the wall is tied into the concrete backing by headers at frequent intervals.
4. fig. To join closely or firmly; to connect, attach, unite, knit, bind by other than material ties; esp. to unite in marriage (now dial.).
c. 1000. [see A. 1 α].
c. 1200. Trin. Coll. Hom., 183 Hie [the soul] … to þe licame … seið … Aweilewei þu fule hold þat ich auere was to þe iteied.
13[?]. E. E. Allit. P., B. 702. When two true togeder had tyȝed hem seluen.
1571. Campion, Hist. Irel., II. vii. (1633), 100. Richard … exceedingly tyed unto him the hearts of the noblemen.
1586. A. Day, Eng. Secretary, I. (1625), 10. Eloquution is annexed vnto the stile, which … is also tyed to the argument.
1684. Contempl. St. Man, I. ii. (1699), 21. The greatest felicity of the World, was tyed to the greatest Mishap.
1715. De Foe, Fam. Instruct. (1841), II. I. i. 16. How could you think of tying yourself to such a family?
1814. Wordsw., White Doe, VII. 314. At length, thus … faintly tied To earth, she … died.
1890. Spectator, 24 May, 714/1. If Washington could tie gold and silver together in the ratio of sixteen, so could the rest of the world.
1899. J. Lumsden, Edin. Poems & Songs, 287. Ma man was kill’d … Before that we’d been foure days tied.
b. intr. for refl. To attach oneself (to). Also, To tie to: to fix one’s confidence in, trust to, hold on to for support. U.S. colloq.
1879. Tourgee, Fool’s Err., x. 43. He won’t du tu tie ter.
1884. A. A. Putnam, Ten Y. Police Judge, xxiii. 200. The propensities of the thief strikingly tie somehow to the training begotten of ardent spirit.
1892. W. W. Fenn, Bible in Theol., 17. Those who, as they say, ‘want something to tie to.’
5. trans. To bind, oblige, restrain, constrain to (also from) some course of action, etc.; to limit, confine, restrict. To be tied to (or for) time: to be bound or limited to a certain time for doing something. (See also phrases in 2.)
c. 1200. Trin. Coll. Hom., 181. Ilch man of his wise noteð his swinhc swilch se he is to iteied. Clerc on his wise. Cniht on his wise…. And ilches craftes þeau swo he beð to iteied.
1387–8. T. Usk, Test. Love, III. ii. (Skeat), l. 144. If it wer nat in mannes own liberte of fre wil to do good or bad but to the one teied by bonde of goddes preordinaunce.
c. 1412. Hoccleve, De Reg. Princ., 1474. God for-beede þou þe haddist tyed Þer-to, but if þin herte myght han plyed For to obserue it wel.
1577. Hanmer, Anc. Eccl. Hist. (1619), 359. I will … tie myself … onto the truth of the historie.
1608. Shaks., Per., II. v. 8. She hath so strictly Tyed her to her Chamber.
1688. R. Holme, Armoury, III. 184/1. The White Friers … were tyed to Fasting, Silence, and Canonical hours.
1713. Berkeley, Guard., No. 39, ¶ 12. I must tie this gentleman close to the argument.
1860. Mrs. Carlyle, Lett. (1883), III. 38. Unfortunately I am tied to time. I must be back in London.
1901. Daily Tel., 22 March, 9/5. The British being to a certain extent tied in South Africa.
b. To bind, oblige; usually in pass. to be bound or obliged (to do something). Now only dial.
1596. Shaks., Tam. Shr., I. i. 217. I am tyed to be obedient, For so your father charg’d me at our parting.
1608. Willet, Hexapla Exod., 498. The borrower … is tied to make it good.
1625. Burges, Pers. Tithes, 66. It was their purpose to tie his conscience the more to doe iustly herein.
1722. De Foe, Plague (1756), 108. Nor were they tied to carry the Dead to their respective Parishes.
1798. Trans. Soc. Arts, XVI. 134. Why should the grower tie himself to plant an equal number of different sorts?
1892. M. C. F. Morris, Yorks. Folk-Talk, 259. We do not reckon obliged in the sense of forced as part of our vocabulary; instead we make use of tied.
† c. To bring into bondage; to enthrall. Obs.
1390. Gower, Conf. II. 129. It is impropreliche seid, For good hath him and halt him teid, That he … is unto his good a thral.
a. 1425. Cursor M., 23307 (Trin.). Þei euer tyed were In þis lif for synnes sere.
1426. Lydg., De Guil. Pilgr., 17513. I teye my sylff … And bynde me to my rychesse.
1594. Kyd, Cornelia, I. 68. What helps it that thou ty’dst The former World to thee in vassalage?
1613. Shaks., Hen. VIII., IV. ii. 36. One that by suggestion Ty’de all the Kingdome.
d. To bind by favor or service rendered: usually in pass.: = OBLIGE v. 6, 7.
1576. Fleming, Panopl. Epist., 123. I am so streigtly tyed to his courtesie.
1595. trans. Blanchardine, Ded. A ij. Whose deserts haue tyed me during life the vassaile of … their commaunds.
1611. Shaks., Cymb., I. vi. 23. He is one of the Noblest note, to whose kindnesses I am most infinitely tied.
1864. Burton, Scot Abr., II. ii. 137. We are also tied in duty to our comrades that were with us in danger.
e. To restrict (a dealer or firm) to a particular source for articles sold; only in pa. pple., usually applied to a public house so restricted as to liquor. Hence transf. as in quot. 1899. See also TIED 2 b.
1817. [see 10 b].
1853. Rep. Sel. Committee Public Houses, Min. Evid., 118. I am the owner of a free house, tied to nobody.
1884. Lincoln, etc., Mercury, 22 Feb. The Masons’ Arms Hotel…. Tied for beer only.
1894. Westm. Gaz., 9 April, 2/3. The system of ‘tied’ trade is not confined to the drink trade…. A retail draper was ‘tied’ to a wholesale house—i.e. … he was under contract to buy all his goods from the wholesale draper in question.
1899. Daily News, 7 Dec., 4/1. The farmers dictate the terms of tenancy. The cottages are ‘tied.’
6. (fig. from 1 b or d.) To make sure, confirm, ratify; to ‘knit,’ ‘cement.’ ? Obs.
1613. Shaks., Hen. VIII., III. ii. 250. That Seale … the King … gaue me … and … Ti’de it by Letters Patents.
1697. Dryden, Æneid, XII. 316. When thus in Public view the peace was tyd With solemn Vows.
7. intr. To be equal (with) in a contest, etc.
1680. Cotton, Compl. Gamester, xv. (ed. 2), 93. If each win a trick and the third tyed, neither win, because it is trick and tye.
1870. Routledge’s Ev. Boy’s Ann., Oct., 600. The cricketers tied when they were so equally matched that neither won.
1882. Standard, 31 Aug., 6/4. Captain Burridge … scored 117, and tied with Mr. Meyler.
1902. Ld. Rosebery, in Daily Chron., 13 Oct., 7/1. We have not received intellectual faculties equal to Mr. Gladstone’s, and we cannot hope to tie with him in their exercise.
b. pass. in same sense.
1868. Lancaster (PA) Intelligencer, 13 May, 2/3. When it was ascertained that the two political parties in Councils were tied on joint ballot, Rutledge [etc.].
† c. In the House of Commons: = PAIR v.1 4.
1829. O’Connell, in Corr., May (1888), I. 188. To tie with a Government member.
d. trans. To be equal with (a competitor); to make the same score as.
1888. Elworthy, W. Somerset Word-bk., s.v., My dog tied yours, so they must run again.
8. Hunting. intr. Of a hound: To linger upon the scent instead of following it swiftly; to loiter, lag.
1781. P. Beckford, Hunting, xv. 188. They learn to tye upon the scent; an unpardonable fault in a fox-hound. Ibid., 190. If they [the hounds] tie upon the scent, and come hunting after, hang them up immediately…: there is no getting such conceited devils on.
1826. [see TYING ppl. a.].
9. intr. Tie into: to ‘buckle to.’ U.S. colloq.
1904. S. E. White, Forest, xii. 159. The day following we tied into it again.
II. With adverbs.
10. Tie down. a. lit. To fasten down or confine by tying: see sense 1 and DOWN adv.
1699. Garth, Dispens., I. 11. More had He spoke but sudden Vapours rise, And with their silken Cords tye down his Eyes.
1728. Pope, Dunc., I. 37. Bards, like Proteus long in vain tied down, Escape in Monsters, and amaze the town.
1823. J. Badcock, Dom. Amusem., 196. Strain it off, and keep it tied down with bladder.
1827. D. Johnson, Ind. Field Sports, 52. The dogs were accustomed to be tied down separately every night.
b. fig. To confine stringently (to some thing or action): cf. sense 5, and DOWN adv. 17.
1692. Locke, Educ., § 142. Being forced and tied down to their Books in an Age at enmity with all such restraint.
1720. De Foe, Capt. Singleton, v. (1840), 90. We did not tie ourselves down when to march and when to halt.
1778. Eng. Gazetteer (ed. 2), s.v. Rochester, For the maintenance of its bridge, certain lands are tied down by parliament.
1817. 1st Rep. Committee Police Metrop., 11. The … practice … for brewers to tie their tenants down to the purchase of specific articles from individuals named by them.
1884. W. C. Smith, Kildrostan, 87. O you dull fellows, Tied down to facts, you lose the half of life.
11. Tie up. a. trans. To fasten (a thing) with a cord or band tied round it, so as to prevent its moving or falling loose, or to secure it from being lost or injured; to bind up, wrap up.
1530. Palsgr., 758/1. I tye up my heare, as a woman dothe, je me atourne.
1608. Shaks., Per., III. ii. 41. Or Tie my treasure vp in silken Bagges.
1706. E. Ward, Wooden World Diss. (1708), 70. His Bob Wig ty’d up behind like a Horse-tail.
1833. Ht. Martineau, Manch. Strike, ii. 19. He tore my arm one day,… father got an apothecary to tie it up.
1838. Dickens, Nich. Nick., xxii. They had tied up the luggage.
b. To tie (a person or animal) to some fixed object or in some confined space, so as to prevent from escaping; to fasten up.
c. 1560. [see c].
1579. W. Wilkinson, Confut. Familye of Loue, Ep. Ded. *iij. The bloudy bandoges of the Romish Sinagogue be tyed vp.
1611. Shaks., Cymb., IV. i. 24. My Horse is tyed vp safe.
1719. De Foe, Crusoe (1840), I. iii. 53. A malefactor … is tied up.
1883. Gilmour, Mongols, xxiii. 285. He had stolen the horse, and tied it up in the mountains.
c. fig. To bind, restrain, or confine strictly; to restrict closely; to hinder from acting freely; to oblige to act in a particular way. (Cf. 5.) Also to tie up one’s hands, one’s tongue: cf. phrases in 2.
[c. 1435. Torr. Portugal, 2658. Sith he did make vp-tyed Chirchus and abbeys wyde, For hym and his to praye.]
c. 1560. Grindal, in Foxe, A. & M. (1583), 1390/2. He hath deserued more gentlenesse at your hande, then to be tied vp so shorte.
1592. Shaks., Rom. & Jul., IV. v. 32. Death that hath tane her hence … Ties vp my tongue, and will not let me speake.
1658–9. Burton’s Diary (1828), IV. 226. I would have you not to tie up your hands from consideration of either.
1768. Col. Churchill, in Jesse, Selwyn & Contemp. (1843), II. 289. Being tied up by my father’s will from assisting my younger children during my life.
1879. Stainer, Music of Bible, 173. It is not tied up in a strait-jacket like a modern chant.
d. To moor (a ship or boat); also absol., or (usually) intr. for pass. said of the vessel.
1853. Kane, Grinnell Exp., xvi. (1856), 122. The ice was closing in every direction; and our master … had no alternative but to tie up and await events.
1886. E. Arnold, India Revisited, iii. 33. At night every steamer ‘ties up.’
1893. Eliz. B. Custer, Tenting, 34. The great cable was used to tie us up to the bank.
e. fig. (from a): To invest or place (money or property) in such a way as to prevent it from being spent or alienated.
1822. J. W. Croker, in C. Papers, 21 June. He has tied up his real estates as tight as he could.
1841. Thackeray, Gt. Hoggarty Diamond, xiii. She is close of her money;… she has tied up every shilling of it, and only allows me half-a-crown a-week for pocket-money.
a. 1859. Macaulay, Hist. Eng., xxiii. (1861), V. 34. To pass a prospective statute tying up in strict entail the little which still remained of the Crown property.
1870. Miss Bridgman, Rob. Lynne, II. v. 111. Her money … had been tied up all tight for her benefit.
f. slang. To give up, desist from, quit (a practice or course of action); also absol.
1760. Foote, Minor, I. Wks. 1799, I. 241. I have a great mind to tie up, and ruin the rascals.
1903. Farmer & Henley, Slang Dict., s.v., To tie up = to forswear; e. g., to tie up prigging = to lead an honest life.
g. slang. To vanquish or disable in a contest; to finish; to ‘knock out.’
1818. [implied in TIE-UP sb. 5].
1903. Farmer & Henley, Slang Dict., s.v., To tie up … = to knock out (pugilists’); tied-up = (1) finished, settled.
1909. Westm. Gaz., 31 July, 16/1. Inclined to lay odds that he and Barnes or Rhodes would have ‘tied up’ the Australian batsmen.
h. To join in marriage: cf. 4 (also tie the knot in 2). colloq. or slang.
1894. Astley, Fifty Years Life, I. 158. A comelier couple parson has seldom … tied up.
