Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner's English Dictionary - tie

(ties, tying, tied) Frequency: The word is one of the 1500 most common words in English. 1. 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. VERB: V n adv/prep, V n 2. 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. VERB: V n to n, V n prep/adv 3. 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. VERB: V n prep/adv, V n with n, V-ed 4. 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. VERB: V n, V n in n, V-ed 5. 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. VERB: V n, V 6. 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. N-COUNT 7. 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 VERB: usu passive, be V-ed to n, pl-n be V-ed 8. 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... VERB: usu passive, be V-ed to n/-ing 9. Ties are the connections you have with people or a place. Quebec has always had particularly close ties to France... = connection N-COUNT: usu pl, oft N prep 10. Railroad ties are large heavy beams that support the rails of a railway track. (AM; in BRIT, use sleepers) N-COUNT 11. 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 V-RECIP: pl-n V, V with n • Tie is also a noun. The first game ended in a tie. N-COUNT 12. 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. N-COUNT 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, bow tie, old school tie