| 释义 |
▪ I. tie, n.|taɪ|
Forms: α. 1 téaᵹ, téᵹ, tǽᵹ, 3 teȝ, teiȝ, 5 tey, 6 Sc. (pl.) teis, (5, 9 dial. tee). β. 5–9 tye, 7 ty, (pl. tigges, tighes), 6– tie.
[OE. teáh, téaᵹ fem., Anglian tǽᵹ, later téᵹ = ON. taug fem., rope:—OTeut. *tauᵹ-ā, -o str. fem., f. second grade of the verb-stem teuh-: tauh-: tuh: see tee v.1 The β-forms are assimilated to, or formed from, tie v.]
1. That with which anything is tied; a cord, band, or the like, used for fastening something; a knot, noose, or ligature; a natural formation of this kind, a ligament (quot. 1659); esp. an ornamental knot or bow of ribbon, etc.
αa800Cynewulf Crist 733 He..cyning inne ᵹebond..fyrnum teaᵹum. a1000Gloss. in Wr.-Wülcker 210/36 Collarium, sweorclaþ, uel teᵹ, uel sal. c1205Lay. 20998 Heo wolden..teien heom to-gadere mid guldene teȝen. c1290S. Eng. Leg. I. 308/301 A teiȝ doggue þat is in strongue teiȝe. 1537Acc. Ld. High Treas. Scot. VI. 335 Thre elnis canves to lyne the teis of the mulatis. 1825Brockett N.C. Words, Tee, or Tie, a hair-rope with which to shackle cows in milking.
β1601–2Shuttleworths' Acc. (Chetham Soc.) 141, ij tigges for the maydes to mylke the kyne with, ijd. 1602Ibid. 142 To a power man for vj tighes for the kyne, iiijd. 1615Crooke Body of Man 406 Intercept an arterie with a tye, and the part below the tye..will not beate. 1659Macallo Can. Physick 54 The tyes and ligaments of the brain. 1817J. Bradbury Trav. Amer. 60 The horse..broke his tie, and gallopped off. 1837Dickens Pickw. xlix, Great formal wigs, with a tie behind. 1857Hughes Tom Brown i. iii, Putting impossible buttons and ties in the middle of his back.
2. Naut.
a. A rope or chain by which a yard is suspended. See quot. 1841.
α1465Mann. & Househ. Exp. (Roxb.) 200 For ij. teyis [for the ship] weyinge vij. stone,..xiij.s. ix.d. 1496Acc. Ld. High Treas. Scot. I. 300 Making of a bonat and the lek [leech] to it, with smal takil and a tee. 1511Ibid. IV. 300 Item..for hed towis to the gret schip..tua cordalis, x trosis, iij teis. 1513Douglas æneis v. xiv. 6 Than all sammyn,..Did heis thar saill, and trossit doun ther teis.
β1485–6Naval Accts. Hen. VII (1896) 13 An hauser for a tye weying D lb. Ibid. 36 Halfe tyes short..ij. Bowe Sesynges. 1611Cotgr., Estails...tyes; the strings or ropes of sayles. 1627Capt. Smith Seaman's Gram. v. 21 The Ties are the ropes by which the yards doe hang, and doe carry up the yards when wee straine the Halyards. 1762–9Falconer Shipwr. ii. 318 While some above the yard o'erhaul the tye. 1829Marryat F. Mildmay iv, I..regained my perch by the topsail-tie. 1841R. H. Dana Seaman's Man., Tye, a rope connected with a yard, to the other end of which a tackle is attached for hoisting.
b. A mooring-bridle.
1867Smyth Sailor's Word-bk., Ties, an old name for mooring bridles. 1883Fisheries Exhib. Catal. 24 White Manilla Boat Tie.
3. A knot of hair; a pigtail; also short for tie-wig. ? Obs.
1728Young Love Fame ii. 225 The well-swoln tyes an equal homage claim. 1742Richardson Pamela IV. 64 So I think, cries the other; and tosses his Tye behind him, with an Air..of Contempt. 1760Foote Minor ii. Wks. 1799 I. 259 Some recommended a tye, others a bag: one mention'd a bob. 1817Shelley Rev. Islam vi. xxxiii, Cythna's glowing arms, and the thick ties Of her soft hair.
4. a. A neck-tie, a cravat, a bow-tie. In mod. use the tie or neck-tie is usu. distinguished from the cravat.
1761Churchill Rosciad Poems 1763 I. 5 Thrice he twirl'd his Tye—thrice strok'd his band. 1860Tristram Gt. Sahara xx. 344 Seated in white gloves and ties at the soirée of Madame R―. 1862‘Shirley’ Nugæ Crit. i. 6 Here..That badge of servitude, the white tie, is unloosed. 1895‘F. Anstey’ Lyre & Lancet i. 7 He'll come down to dinner in a flannel shirt and no tie. 1897Ld. Tennyson Mem. Tennyson II. 222 Adorned by his accustomed blue tie.
b. A lady's ornamental necklet or scarf.
1860C. M. Yonge Hopes & Fears I. ii. iii. 204 Ladies affected coats and waistcoats..both cousins..wearing..black ties round the neck. 1895Montgomery Ward Catal. Spring & Summer 79/2 White Hemstitch Lawn Ties, embroidered ends. (Size 41/4 × 44 inch.) 1919Queen 4 Oct. 5 A..Mink Tie beautifully worked in three strands. 1930Daily Tel. 8 Apr. 9/5 Wherever fashionable women may meet this Easter most assuredly will you mark the popularity of the Fur Tie. 1973Country Life 22 Nov. (Suppl.) 721 Important auction sale... Mink & Astrakhan fur coats and ties.
5. A kind of low shoe fastened with a tie or lace.
1826Mrs. McNeill Let. in Mem. Sir J. McNeill vi. (1910), Two pair black satin slippers,..two pair neat walking ties. 1904Westm. Gaz. 15 Apr. 10/2 What we call Oxford Ties, which is a brogue shoe, is a favourite form..for walking purposes.
6. a. gen. Something that connects or unites two or more things in some way; a link. (See also 8.)
1711J. Greenwood Eng. Gram. 152 Called the subjunctive mood because it is added to the first sentence by some Cople or Tye. 1830Herschel Stud. Nat. Phil. ii. vii. (1851) 193 Solid substance[s] retained by a force or united by a tie. 1857Miller Elem. Chem. (1862) III. 52 The tie between the two typical groups being..the dibasic radicle (C2O2).
b. Mus. A curved line placed over or under two notes on the same degree, to indicate that the sound is to be sustained (not repeated): = bind n. 1 c: cf. ligature n. 4.
Also placed over or under two or more notes to be performed legato, or to be sung to one syllable; in this case now called a slur (slur n.3 4).
1656M. Locke Little Consort, Treble Pref., In printing of Tyes, Holds, Slurrs. 1662Playford Skill Mus. i. xi. (1674) 35 A Tye is of two uses, first, when the Time is broken..in the middle of the Note, it is usual to Tye two Minims, or a Minim and a Crotchet together. The second sort of Tye is, when two or more Notes are to be sung to one Syllable, or two Notes or more are to be plaid with once drawing the bow on the Viol. 1686New Method to Learn to Sing 54 A Tye thus {tie}, over two or more Notes, signifying that they must be sung to one Syllable, or struck with one motion of the Bow upon an Instrument. 1848[see slur n.3 4].
c. The locking together of dog and bitch during copulation.
1951E. F. Daglish Dog Breeder's Man. xi. 102 Penetration by the dog is usually followed by the ‘tie’..usually considered evidence of a successful union. 1969M. Roslin-Williams Dual-Purpose Labrador iv. 52 When the mating is effective and normal, the ‘tie’ will be so strong that the dog can be turned carefully round.
7. a. Arch., etc. A beam or rod used to ‘tie’ or bind together two parts of a building or other structure by counteracting a tensile strain which tends to draw them apart.
1793W. H. Marshall W. England (1796) II. 340 The ties, in this case, are large oak floor-beams. 1855Act 18 & 19 Vict. c. 122 Sched. i, The height of every topmost story shall be measured from the level of its floor up to the underside of the tie of the roof. 1861Smiles Engineers II. 183 The eight ribs were firmly connected together by braces and ties. 1869E. J. Reed Shipbuild. i. 8 Some of the longitudinal ties of this ship were broken at the bulkheads.
b. U.S. A (transverse) railway sleeper.
(The transverse or ‘cross’ sleepers serve as ties to keep the rails from spreading under the lateral strain of the wheels.)
1857U.S. Patent Office Rep. II. 116 The tie and pedestals cast in one piece, the chairs so constructed as to fit in or on said pedestals. 1869Daily News 7 Oct., Fires..fed by piles of old sleepers, or ties as they are called here. 1881Times 9 Sept., Heaps of ‘ties’ (the sleepers of the old world) piled up by the side of the road. 1891Railroad Gaz. (U.S.), The requirements for ties comprise the largest consumption of wood in this country.
8. fig. Something that ties or binds in a figurative or abstract sense.
a. Something that makes fast or secures; a security; something figured as a band or knot with which things are tied. rare.
a1555Latimer in Foxe A. & M. (1563) 1313/1 They haue charitie in such sure tie that they cannot lose it. 1605Shakes. Macb. iii. i. 17 Let your Highnesse Command vpon me, to the which my duties Are with a most indissoluble tye For euer knit. 1670Cotton Espernon iii. x. 531 He had concluded the Marriage.., a match that was to be the main tye of this Accommodation. 1810Scott Lady of L. ii. ix, Confusedly bound in memory's ties.
b. Something that restrains or obliges; a restraint, constraint; † something that enables one to restrain another, a hold upon a person (obs.); an obligation, a bond (of duty or the like).
1596Drayton Leg. iii. 80 Which soone upon Him got so sure a Tye, As no misfortune e'r could it remove. 1621H. Elsing Debates Ho. Lords (Camden) 45 The agents complained that they wanted a ty uppon the sylkemen. The bonde was advysed by others. 1641Ld. J. Digby Sp. in Ho. Com. 21 Apr. 6, I was..under tye of Secrecy. 1754Sherlock Disc. (1759) I. xiii. 359 Bound..by..the Ties of Moral Duty. 1768Woman of Honor III. 59 Love..flies with disdain from everything that has an air of tie, or constraint. 1835J. H. Newman Par. Serm. (1837) I. xv. 229 They do not like the tie of religion.
c. Something that connects or unites; a bond of union; a uniting principle; a link, connexion: usually with implication of mutual obligation (cf. b), in reference to social relations or the like.
a1625Fletcher Bloody Brother iv. i, Mercy becomes a prince, and guards him best; Awe and affrights are never ties of love. 1629Carliell Deserv. Favourite 82 To procure her bondage; For such she did account all ties of marriage Made by the parents without the childs consent. 1733P. Shaw tr. Bacon's De Sap. Vet. iii. ii. Expl., Philos. Wks. I. 591 The Bonds of Affinity, which are the Links and Ties of Nature. 1781Gibbon Decl. & F. (1869) III. I. 149 We are bound to each other by the ties of honour and interest. 1874Green Short Hist. i. §1. 1 The ties of a common blood, and a common speech. 1875Whitney Life Lang. 271 There is no necessary tie between race and language.
d. Obligation of constant attendance; restraint of freedom.
1868J. C. Atkinson Gloss. Cleveland Dial. 534 T' au'd lady's a gret age. She'll be a desper't tie on em. a1912Mod. She finds the children a great tie on her. The place is easy, but you wouldn't like the tie. 1928A. Huxley Point Counter Point xix. 343 Free, without ties, unpossessed by any possessions, free to do as one will, to go at a moment's notice wherever the fancy may suggest—it is good. 1960R. Collier House called Memory iii. 45 We'd love to do an evening show sometimes but the children are such a tie.
e. Logic. Something that unites the elements of a linguistic construct, e.g. the verb ‘to be’.
1918W. E. Johnson in Mind XXVII. 14 In order to understand the verbal juxtaposition of substantive and adjective, we must recognise a latent element of form in this construct... This element of form constitutes what I shall call the characterising tie. 1921― Logic I. i. 10 The general term ‘tie’ is used to denote what..is involved in understanding the specific form of unity that gives significance to the construct. 1923C. D. Broad Sci. Thought ii. 75 Take first a very simple characterising judgment, lie ‘3 is a prime.’.. We might say that the first judgment is about the number 3 and the characteristic of primeness, and asserts that they are connected by the characterising tie. 1959P. F. Strawson Individuals v. 168 To the characterizing tie between Socrates and the universal, dying, there corresponds the attributive tie between Socrates and the particular, his death.
¶ to ride in tie: perversion of to ride and tie (see ride v. 22), tie being app. taken in sense ‘connexion’.
1870G. T. Curtis Life D. Webster I. 37 As Mr Webster once humorously expressed their frequent interchange of study and labour for their joint support, as they had but one horse between them, they ‘rode in tie’. 1908Academy 8 Feb. 434/2 He rode all the way in tie with his black slave.
9. a. The fact or method of tying; the condition of being tied, bound, or united. (In quot. 1865 ? a bargain settled, a sale.)
1718Free-thinker No. 66 ⁋7, I understand the decent Tye of a Cravat. 1793Smeaton Edystone L. §82 The tye was as good at the bottom as at the top. 1865Daily Tel. 22 Aug. 6/5 The market expenses..are little enough: 2d a head toll, and 1½d ‘a tie’, as the phrase is—3½d, that is, per beast sold in the market.
b. Mining. = tee n.1 3.
1747Hooson Miner's Dict. O iij, He that comes first to the Pee, will take it, be he the older or younger, and he will make the other a way out if possible he can, otherwise if he cannot then it is called a Tye. 1851[see tee n.1 3].
c. In silk hand-loom weaving: The tying together of a combination of heddle-strings, so as to move a series of warp-strings together.
1831G. R. Porter Silk Manuf. 297 Every variation in the order of succession of the harness used in weaving or in the weavers' language, every different tie, produces a different pattern.
d. In plastering: = key n.1 10 c.
1873E. Spon Workshop Receipts Ser. i. 121/2 After the coat is laid on, it is scored in diagonal directions with a scratcher..to give it a key or tie for the coat that is to follow it.
10. a. Equality between two or more competitors or the sides in a match or contest; a match in which this occurs, a drawn match; a dead heat. Hence, to play off, shoot off, etc. a tie, to resolve or determine a tie, by playing another match.
1680[see tie v. 7]. 1736in Waghorn Cricket Scores (1899) 16 A great single-wicket match..the country men got but 6, which made it a tie. 1837T. Hook Jack Brag iii, To see the ties shot off of the great pigeon match. 1844Disraeli Coningsby viii. iii, The Government count on the seat, though with the new Registration 'tis nearly a tie. 1881T. Hardy Laodicean ii. vi, We are bracketed—it's a tie. The judges say there is no choice between the designs.
Hence, b. A deciding match played after a draw; also, a match played between the victors in previous matches or heats. (See also cup-tie s.v. cup n. 13 c.)
1895Westm. Gaz. 24 Sept., The..boys prefer the cup ties to the Church Catechism. 1904Ibid. 22 Apr. 12/1 There is something impressive even to the unathletic man in these annual Cup-tie figures. 1905Daily Chron. 17 Apr. 3/7 Probably the Cup-‘tie’ has been evolved from the phrase ‘shooting off’ or ‘playing off a tie’ after two competitors have ‘tied’. The match between those who stand on a level gradually gets regarded as itself the ‘tie’.
Sense 8 e in Dict. becomes 8 f. Add: [8.] e. spec. A binding contract whereby the licensee of an inn or public house is obliged to purchase liquor from a particular brewing firm. See tied house s.v. tied ppl. a.
190919th Cent. June 996 A ‘tie’ extending to wines and spirits, &c., is not uncommon in various parts of the country. 1968Beer & Cider (‘Know the Drink’ Ser.) 37/1 The tenant pays a low, sometimes nominal, rent, and in return agrees to buy the owner's beers... This agreement is the tie that gives rise to the name ‘tied house’. 1989Times 22 Mar. 27/7 The report into the tie..is riddled with the inconsistencies which still dominate [brewery] merger policy in this country.
▪ II. tie, v.|taɪ|
Inflected tied, tying. Forms: see below.
[In the α-forms, OE. tíᵹan, for OWS. *tíeᵹan:—*téaᵹ-jan to bind, f. téaᵹ rope: see tie n.: cf. ON. teygja to draw. The ME. β-forms are commonly held to represent a non-WSax. (Mercian) form *téᵹan (for *tíeᵹan); but cf. ME. ēi and í forms under eye, high.]
A. Illustration of Forms.
1. pres. stem. (α) 1 tíᵹ-an, 3–4 tiȝ-en, 4 tyȝe, tyen, 4–9 tye, 6–7 ty; 4– tie. pres. pple. tying.
c1000Tiᵹan [see B. 1]. c1000ælfric Gram. xliv. (Z.) 258 Hu þes dæl tiᵹð þa word togædere. c1275Lay. 20997 And tiȝe heom to-gædere. 1377Langl. P. Pl. B. i. 96 And taken transgressores and tyen hem faste. Ibid. iii. 139 And tieth hym faste. 1563Golding Cæsar v. (1565) 138 He aduised him to tie the letter to the thong of a Iaueling, & so to throw it into his camp. 1570Satir. Poems Reform. xxii. 92 To ty on tre. 1618Ralegh in Four C. Eng. Lett. (1880) 38 Tyenge them back to backe. 1729G. Adams tr. Sophocl., Antig. 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.
c1205Lay. 20997 And teien heom to-gadere. c1250Hymn Virg. 59 in Trin. Coll. Hom. 257 Herre teȝen he him nolde. c1330R. Brunne Chron. Wace (Rolls) 11187 Many fair palfray & stede..to wype, & to mangers teye. 1362Langl. P. Pl. A. i. 94 And teiȝen hem faste. 1387Trevisa Higden (Rolls) IV. 79 Reynes..to teie wiþ oþer oxen. c1440Promp. Parv. 487/2 Teyyn wythe bondys. c1440Gesta Rom. xxiii. 81 (Harl. MS.) Tey him to Tailles of hors. 1533More Answ. Poysoned Bk. Wks. 1041/2 Sampson tayeng the Foxes together. 1664Earl of Tyrconnel Let. 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. tense. (α) [1 *tíᵹede, 3–4 *tiȝede, *tyȝede], 5–8 tyed, (5–6 -it, 6 tight), 6–7 ty'd, 7– tied.
c1400,1513Tyed [see B 1, 1 b]. c1470Golagros & Gaw. 61 His hors he tyit to ane tre. 1596Spenser F.Q. vi. xii. 34 Thereunto a great long chaine he tight. 1604E. G[rimstone] D'Acosta Hist. Indies vi. xiv. 461 The bridges.. which they tied to the bankes. 1686tr. Chardin's Trav. Persia 141 Forces, that ty'd his Hands. 1720Ozell Vertot's Rom. Rep. I. v. 296 Grief..tyed his Tongue.
(β) 3 teide, 5 teyde, teghit, tayed.
c1290S. Eng. Leg. I. 29/91 Huy..teiden ane rop a boute is necke. c1400Destr. Troy 3523 The kyng..teghit her in yernes. c1400Three Kings Cologne 26 Byside þat ox Ioseph teyde his asse. 1470–85Malory Arthur i. iii. 41 Sir Arthur..tayed his hors to the style.
3. pa. pple. (α) 1 ᵹe-tiᵹ(ᵹ)ed, 3–4 i-tiȝed, 4 ityȝed, tyȝed, 5 Sc. tichit, ticht; 4–9 tyed, 6 tiede, 6–7 tyde, tide, 7–8 ty'd, 4– tied.
c1000ælfric Hom. II. 62 An ramm..ᵹetiᵹed be ðam hornum. c1000Ags. Gosp. Matt. xxi. 2, & þonne sona finde ᵹyt ane assene ᵹe-tiᵹᵹede [c 1160 Hatton Gosp. ᵹe-teiᵹᵹede [v.r. ᵹeteᵹᵹede]]. c1275I-tiȝed, c 1320 I-tyȝed [see B. 1]. 13..Tyȝed [see B. 4]. 1382Wyclif Mark xi. 2 A colt tyed [1388 tied]. c1450Holland Howlat 405 With tuscheis of trast silk tichit to the tre. c1475Rauf Coilȝear 457 Ane Tyger ticht to ane tre. 1590Spenser F.Q. i. vi. 21 In sacred bonds of wedlock tyde. 1608,1688Tyed [see B. 5]. 1699J. 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. 1718Ty'd, 1816 Tyed [see B. 1].
(β) 2 ᵹe-teᵹᵹed, -teiᵹᵹed, 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.
c1160ᵹete[i]ᵹᵹed [see α]. c1200Iteied [see B. 5 a]. Ibid. 217 Þat me ne sholde none man bitechen bute he were teid to menden chirche. c1230Hali Meid. 27 Him..þat is..to eni eorðliche þing iteiet. a1250Owl & Night. 776 An hors.. i-teid at mulne dure. c1350Will. Palerne 3226 Þe sturnest stede in hire stabul teiȝed. Ibid. 3232 Teied in þe stabul. c1386Yteyd, 1387 I-teyed [see B. 1 b]. 1387Trevisa Higden (Rolls) IV. 77 Þe reynes þat þe oxen schulde be teyde by. 1390Teid [see B. 5 c]. c1400Laud Troy Bk. 518 Eche a man on londe than gos,..And lefft here schip teyghte fast. 1489Caxton Faytes of A. i. xvii. 49 Wel teyed with ropys. 1547Boorde Introd. Knowl. xiii. (1870) 156 Than am I tonge tayd. 1556Chron. Gr. Friars (Camden) 98 Browte thorrow Cheppesyde teyd in ropes xxiiijti tayd to-getheres as herrytykes. 1828Craven Gloss., Teed, tied.
B. Signification.
I. The simple verb.
1. a. 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.
c1000ælfric Hom. I. 432 Ualerianus..het tiᵹan [Ypolitus] be ðam fotum to unᵹetemedra horsa swuran. c1205Lay. 25972 Twælf swine iteied [c 1275 itiȝed] to-somme. a1225Ancr. R. 254 Sansumes foxes..weren bi þe teiles iteied ueste. c1320Cast. Love 1130 As fisch..Þat whon þe worm he swoleweþ..He is bi þe hok i-tiȝed [v.r. i-tyȝed] fast. c1400Laud Troy Bk. 2733 Anker thei caste, And tyed here schippis in that porte And ȝede to londe. c1440Pallad. on Husb. iv. 752 [772] Stakes..To teye hem to. 1590Spenser F.Q. i. v. 6 Their shining shieldes about their wrestes they tye. 1638Junius Paint. Ancients 154 A great dogge tyed in a chaine. 1718Pope Iliad ii. 55 Th' embroider'd sandals on his feet were ty'd. 1816Singer 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.
c1386Chaucer Prol. 457 Hir hosen were of fyn scarlett reed, Ful streite yteyd. 1387Trevisa Higden (Rolls) V. 369 Hire hosen tilled to the hamme, i-teyed wiþ layners al aboute. 1513More in Hall Chron., Rich. III (1548) 27 b, After which tyme, the prince neuer tyed his pointes. 1592Shakes. Rom. & Jul. iii. i. 31 Did'st thou not fall out..with another, for tying his new shooes with old Riband? 1662J. Davies tr. Mandelslo's Trav. 80 They tye their Garments about with a Girdle. 1716Addison Drummer iii. i, He'll tye a wig. 1819Shelley 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]. 1804Abernethy Surg. Obs. 195 To tie the more superficial arteries. 1843R. 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.).
1647Cowley Mistr., The Tree v, Go tye the dismal Knot (why shouldst thou live?). 1808Scott Marm. i. Introd. 48 The garlands you delight to tie. 1838Thirlwall Greece II. xiv. 200 He tied sixty knots in a leathern thong. 1867F. Francis Angling x. (1880) 340 One of the most difficult things in tying flies.
e. tie neck and heels: see neck n.1 7. ride and tie: see ride v. 22.
f. intr. for pass.
1842Amer. Pioneer I. 274 A pair of buckskin leggins,..made to fit the leg and tie in at the ankle with the moccasins. 1924A. D. Sedgwick Little French Girl ii. iii. 114 Straightly falling dress,..tying at the breast with tassels and at the waist with a loosely knotted sash.
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. 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. tie that bull outside or to another ashcan (U.S. slang): I do not believe you; ‘tell me another’. to tie a can to (or on) (slang): to reject or dismiss (a person); to stop (an activity). to tie one on [cf. to tie a bun on s.v. bun n.5] slang (chiefly U.S.): to get drunk.
1559Bk. Com. Prayer, Prayers Sev. Occasions, Tyed and bounde with the chayne of oure synnes. 1576Gascoigne Compl. Philomene lxx. (Arb.) 99 Hir swelling sobbes, Did tie hir tong from talke. 1579Lyly Euphues (Arb.) 52 Euphues beeing thus tyed to the stake by their importunate intreatie, began as followeth. a1600Dick 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. 1605Shakes. Lear iii. vii. 54, I am tyed to' th' Stake, And I must stand the Course. 1642Fuller Holy & Prof. St. v. v. 375 When God intends a Nation shall be beaten, he ties their hands behind them. 1717Prior Alma i. 332 So to the priest their case they tell: He ties the knot. 1781Cowper Friendship 62 A fretful temper will divide The closest knot that may be tied. 1828[see knot n.1 11 b]. 1866Crump Banking ix. 214 It seems very unjust to tie the hands of the directors in so important a particular. 1889The County viii, One would have thought that very shame would have tied her tongue. 1921J. Dos Passos Three Soldiers iv. i. 212 ‘Fellers, the war's over!’.. ‘Tie that bull outside,’ came from every side of the ward. 1922H. Crane Let. 10 Dec. (1965) 108 Life is meagre with me. I am unsatisfied and left always begging for beauty. I am tied to the stake—a little more wastefully burnt every day of my life. 1926Wodehouse Heart of Goof viii. 265 What caused the definite rift was Jane's refusal to tie a can to Rodney Spelvin. 1928C. Sandburg Good Morning, America 16 They got a fat nerve to try to tie a can on you. 1932J. T. Farrell Young Lonigan ii. 60 Three-Star told Vinc to tie his bull to another ash can. 1933E. O'Neill Ah, Wilderness! i. 27 Aw say, you fresh kid, tie that bull outside! 1942Wodehouse Money in Bank (1946) xix. 163 Tie a can to the funny stuff, see? If I want to laugh, I'll read the comic strip. 1951Western Folklore X. 82 The Act of Drinking:..to swill one down; to tie one on. 1959Listener 4 June 971/1 That was what lost Mr. Acheson votes when he was tied to the Senatorial stake. 1962J. Onslow Bowler-Hatted Cowboy xix. 186 You used to tie one on with the boys. 1972Wodehouse Pearls, Girls, & Monty Bodkin v. 65 I'm warning you to kiss her goodbye and tie a can to her. Never marry anyone who makes conditions. 1982A. Mather Impetuous Masquerade vii. 107 He had..tied one on, if you know what I mean.
3. a. 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 n. 7), or by other means (cf. bond n.1 13 a). Also with into, = to tie in to (see sense 11 a below).
1585T. Washington tr. Nicholay's Voy. ii. xviii. 51 [A] smal habitation,..made of..glasse, ioyned & tyed together with roddes of Tin. 1632Lithgow Trav. ii. 67 Peloponnesus..is tied to the continent by an Istmus. 1851Ruskin 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. a1912[see sense 3 e below]. 1969D. Acheson Present at Creation xliv. 402 The white telephone tied into the White House switchboard was used sparingly by considerate associates. 1974Sci. Amer. Oct. 113/1 We began work at the complex by establishing over the target area a submerged grid of 10-meter squares that was tied into the Greek ordnance survey grid ashore.
b. To check or hinder the free movement or working of: see quots.
1597A. M. tr. Guillemeau's Fr. Chirurg. 10/1 Spasmus..with shakinge and quiveringe, with the tonge tiede, and with irremoveable eyes. 1602Carew 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. 1879Jefferies 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 n. 6 b, ligature n. 4.
1597[see ligature 4]. 1662Playford Skill Mus. i. viii. (1674) 28 Four or more Quavers are Tyed together by a long Stroke on the top of their Tails. 1662[see tie n. 6 b].
d. U.S. To furnish (a railway line) with ‘ties’ or sleepers (cf. tie n. 7 b).
1883W. 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).
1500–20Dunbar Poems lxxii. 69 Syne tyit him on with greit irne takkis, And him all nakit on the tre Thai raisit on loft. a1912Mod. The brick facing of the wall is tied into the concrete backing by headers at frequent intervals.
f. intr. and trans. Of a dog or bitch: to remain linked (with) for a period during copulation.
1910J. S. Turner Kennel Encycl. III. 919 Occasionally a dog does not tie in the normal fashion... A dog that regularly ties is preferable. 1934F. W. Cousens Dogs & their Managem. v. 83 When the stud dog is unable to ‘tie’ a bitch, he is unable to remain sufficiently long in position to impregnate the bitch properly. 1952C. L. B. Hubbard Pembrokeshire Corgi Handbk. v. 60 Not all breeds tie. 1968J. F. Gordon Pet Library's Beagle Guide x. 149 Once the pair have tied, they can be steadied, and..left to complete their task.
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.).
c1000[see A. 1 α]. c1200Trin. 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. 1571Campion Hist. Irel. ii. vii. (1633) 100 Richard..exceedingly tyed unto him the hearts of the noblemen. 1586Day Eng. Secretary i. (1625) 10 Eloquution is annexed vnto the stile, which..is also tyed to the argument. 1684Contempl. St. Man i. ii. (1699) 21 The greatest felicity of the World, was tyed to the greatest Mishap. 1715De Foe Fam. Instruct. (1841) II. i. i. 16 How could you think of tying yourself to such a family? 1814Wordsw. White Doe vii. 314 At length, thus..faintly tied To earth, she..died. 1890Spectator 24 May 714/1 If Washington could tie gold and silver together in the ratio of sixteen, so could the rest of the world. 1899J. 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.
1879Tourgee Fool's Err. x. 43 He won't du tu tie ter. 1884A. A. Putnam Ten Y. Police Judge xxiii. 200 The propensities of the thief strikingly tie somehow to the training begotten of ardent spirit. 1892W. W. Fenn Bible in Theol. 17 Those who, as they say, ‘want something to tie to’.
5. a. 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.)
c1200Trin. 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. 1387–8T. Usk Test. Love iii. ii. (Skeat) I. 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. c1412Hoccleve 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. 1577Hanmer Anc. Eccl. Hist. (1619) 359, I will..tie myself..onto the truth of the historie. 1608Shakes. Per. ii. v. 8 She hath so strictly Tyed her to her Chamber. 1688R. Holme Armoury iii. 184/1 The White Friers..were tyed to Fasting, Silence, and Canonical hours. 1713Berkeley Guard. No. 39 ⁋12, I must tie this gentleman close to the argument. 1860Mrs. Carlyle Lett. (1883) III. 38 Unfortunately I am tied to time. I must be back in London. 1901Daily Tel. 22 Mar. 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.
1596Shakes. Tam. Shr. i. i. 217, I am tyed to be obedient, For so your father charg'd me at our parting. 1608Willet Hexapla Exod. 498 The borrower..is tied to make it good. 1625Burges Pers. Tithes 66 It was their purpose to tie his conscience the more to doe iustly herein. 1722De Foe Plague (1756) 108 Nor were they tied to carry the Dead to their respective Parishes. 1798Trans. Soc. Arts XVI. 134 Why should the grower tie himself to plant an equal number of different sorts? 1892M. 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.
1390Gower Conf. II. 129 It is impropreliche seid, For good hath him and halt him teid, That he..is unto his good a thral. a1425Cursor M. 23307 (Trin.) Þei euer tyed were In þis lif for synnes sere. 1426Lydg. De Guil. Pilgr. 17513, I teye my sylff..And bynde me to my rychesse. 1594Kyd Cornelia i. 68 What helps it that thou ty'dst The former World to thee in vassalage? 1613Shakes. Hen. VIII, iv. ii. 36 One that by suggestion Ty'de all the Kingdome.
d. To bind by favour or service rendered: usually in pass.: = oblige v. 6, 7.
1576Fleming Panopl. Epist. 123, I am so streigtly tyed to his courtesie. 1595tr. Blanchardine Ded. A ij, Whose deserts haue tyed me during life the vassaile of..their commaunds. 1611Shakes. Cymb. i. vi. 23 He is one of the Noblest note, to whose kindnesses I am most infinitely tied. 1864Burton 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]. 1853Rep. Sel. Committee Public Houses, Min. Evid. 118, I am the owner of a free house, tied to nobody. 1884Lincoln, etc. Mercury 22 Feb., The Masons' Arms Hotel... Tied for beer only. 1894Westm. Gaz. 9 Apr. 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. 1899Daily News 7 Dec. 4/1 The farmers dictate the terms of tenancy. The cottages are ‘tied’.
f. To impose conditions on (foreign aid), esp. by restricting its use to purchases from the source country. Cf. tied ppl. a. 2 c.
1965McGraw-Hill Dict. Mod. Econ. 515 A considerable part of U.S. foreign aid has been tied. 1965New Statesman 18 June 945/3 This strain [on the balance of payments] can be reduced by ‘tying’ aid—insisting that it be spent on British exports. 1976New Internationalist Jan. 7/2 Virtually all aid from the USSR is tied to the purchase of Russian goods or expertise. 1980North–South (Rep. Independent Comm. Internat. Devel. Issues) xii. 198 When they tie aid to their own sources the donor countries greatly limit choices and discourage local initiatives.
6. (fig. from 1 b or d.) To make sure, confirm, ratify; to ‘knit’, ‘cement’. ? Obs.
1613Shakes. Hen. VIII, iii. ii. 250 That Seale..the King..gaue me..and..Ti'de it by Letters Patents. 1697Dryden æneid xii. 316 When thus in Public view the peace was ty'd With solemn Vows.
7. a. intr. To be equal (with) in a contest, etc.
1680Cotton Compl. Gamester xv. (ed. 2) 93 If each win a trick and the third tyed, neither win, because it is trick and tye. 1870Routledge's Ev. Boy's Ann. Oct. 600 The cricketers tied when they were so equally matched that neither won. 1882Standard 31 Aug. 6/4 Captain Burridge..scored 117, and tied with Mr. Meyler. 1902Ld. 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.
1868U.S. Newspaper, The two political parties in Councils were tied on joint ballot.
†c. In the House of Commons: = pair v.1 4.
1829O'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. Now chiefly N. Amer.
1888Elworthy W. Somerset Word-bk. s.v., My dog tied yours, so they must run again. 1966N.Y. Times (Internat. ed.) 22 Apr. 12/5 Real Madrid tied Internazionale of Milan, 1–1, last night. 1968Globe & Mail (Toronto) 17 Feb. 39 If Canada ties Russians, Swedes beat Czechs—Russia wins gold on goal spread, Canada takes silver. 1977Arab Times 13 Dec. 9/1 The American Embassy is currently in second place and needs a victory to tie Dresser and force a play-off for the League Championship.
e. N. Amer. To match or equal (an existing record or score); colloq. phrases can you tie that?, tie that!, expressions of surprise or amazement. Cf. beat v.1 10 h.
1918Collier's 11 May 46/3 The French won't even admit he's dead yet—they call this joint the Invalides, which is only concedin' that he's sick! Can you tie that? 1930Sat. Even. Post 28 June 162 ‘Can you beat that?’ he muttered. ‘Can you even tie it?’ 1932W. Faulkner Light in August viii. 172 Well, say. Can you tie that. 1946Sat. Even. Post 30 Mar. 46/2 Mr. Carter got hold of Billy Rose and offered him $1000 a day for 100 days if he would come to Fort Worth and put on a show that not only couldn't be beat but couldn't be tied. 1948Wodehouse Uncle Dynamite vi. 83 Tie that for a disaster, Uncle Fred. 1968Globe & Mail (Toronto) 15 Jan. 21/3 Willie Turner, a young sprinter who has yet to reach his peak, tied a world indoor standard Saturday. 1974State (Columbia, S. Carolina) 3 Mar. 6-d/1 Cincinnati tied a school record by hitting 16 of 17 free throws. 1978Detroit Free Press 5 Mar. c2/1 Connors, a 25-year-old lefthander from Belleville, Ill., quickly served a love game to tie the score.
8. Hunting. intr. Of a hound: To linger upon the scent instead of following it swiftly; to loiter, lag.
1781P. 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. Also, to get to work vigorously on; to tuck into (food). U.S.
1904S. E. White Forest xii. 159 The day following we tied into it again. 1912R. A. Wason Friar Tuck xiv. 99 They girded up their loins, an' tied into him a little harder. 1948‘J. Evans’ Halo for Satan ix. 130 She put her head back and tied into her drink with the easy grace of a practiced drinker. 1965M. Bradbury Stepping Westward v. 238 I'm going to take a peanut-butter sandwich..but I want to see these important men tie into something really good.
II. With adverbs.
10. tie down.
a. lit. To fasten down or confine by tying: see sense 1 and down adv.
1699Garth Dispens. i. 11 More had He spoke but sudden Vapours rise, And with their silken Cords tye down his Eyes. 1728Pope Dunc. i. 37 Bards, like Proteus long in vain tied down, Escape in Monsters, and amaze the town. 1823J. Badcock Dom. Amusem. 196 Strain it off, and keep it tied down with bladder. 1827D. 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.
1692Locke Educ. §142 Being forced and tied down to their Books in an Age at enmity with all such restraint. 1720De Foe Capt. Singleton v. (1840) 90 We did not tie ourselves down when to march and when to halt. 1778Eng. Gazetteer (ed. 2) s.v. Rochester, For the maintenance of its bridge, certain lands are tied down by parliament. 18171st 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. 1884W. C. Smith Kildrostan 87 O you dull fellows, Tied down to facts, you lose the half of life.
11. tie in.
a. trans. To connect or join to an existing structure or network.
1793W. H. Marshall W. England (1796) II. 340 Firm purchases..for the purpose of tying in the front wall. 1914Dialect Notes IV. 164 Tie in, in surveying, to join or connect up. ‘We'll run over to the monument and tie in this survey.’ 1943J. S. Huxley TVA xi. 95 The framing to the exit..neatly ties in the air exhaust trough at the bottom of the walls. 1975North Sea Background Notes (Brit. Petroleum Co.) 30 It is not impossible that a branch line from another nearby oilfield may be tied in to the Forties line in the future. 1978Lancashire Life July 37/3 Instead of being tied-in to the building next-door this 19th century addition was simply slapped-up alongside it.
b. intr. To accord or be consonant (with); to be connected or associated (with).
1938S. Chase Tyranny of Words viii. 91 This ties in with Korzybski's central idea of knowledge as structural. 1954‘A. Garve’ Riddle of Samson x. 97 There's another thing that ties in rather neatly, too. 1959H. Nielsen Fifth Caller xiv. 216 A stranger? That didn't tie in with the words Dr. Whitehall was quoted as having used in greeting. 1967Sci. Amer. Sept. 276 The problem ties in with the discussion of Pascal's triangle. 1972D. Lodge 20th Cent. Lit. Crit. 174 Jung's theory of the Collective Unconscious tied in neatly with the anthropological study of primitive myth and ritual, initiated..by Sir James Frazer in The Golden Bough.
c. trans. To associate or connect (with).
1958‘A. Bridge’ Portuguese Escape ix. 146 How can they have tied the Monsignor in with the Duke's house? 1959Listener 26 Feb. 364/1 Nowadays, more emphasis is placed on teaching foreign languages phonetically and on trying to tie lessons in with exchange visits of pupils abroad. 1972‘T. Coe’ Don't lie to Me (1974) xi. 102 The detectives on the case think the two things are tied in. The killing and the acid. 1972J. L. Dillard Black English iv. 140 Pidgin has been tied in historically with a lot of regrettable racial and economic policies. 1982R. Leigh Girl with Bright Head xix. 131 ‘Just tell me what Mrs Storm wanted with you.’ ‘Not unless you can tie her in with the murder.’
12. tie off.
a. trans. To close (a tubular vessel) by tying something round it. Also transf.
1903J. J. McGrath Surg. Anat. & Operative Surg. i. 13 In resecting portions of the alimentary canal the mesentery or omentum that carries the blood-supply to the parts must be tied off. 1973‘D. Halliday’ Dolly & Starry Bird ii. 27 You must have Digham tied off... I won't have you become preggy.
b. trans. To secure or make fast (a rope or line); also fig. Also absol.
1928Amer. Speech IV. 69 [Stage-hand language.] The lines pass..down to a fly-floor,..where they are tied-off, or belayed. 1933P. Godfrey Back-Stage vii. 88 Stage-hands are shouting strangely cryptic phrases to people overhead... ‘Up on yer long—dead it—tie off at that—mark yer new set.’ 1952R. P. Bissell Monongahela xix. 217 While the deckhand is tying off you jump down out of the brain box and knock the face wires loose. 1973J. Thomson Death Cap x. 143, I like all the ends tied off and Finis written on the file. 1974H. MacInnes Climb to Lost World xi. 193, I..asked him to tie-off the bottom end of Joe's rope.
13. 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. Also intr. for pass.
1530Palsgr. 758/1, I tye up my heare, as a woman dothe, je me atourne. 1608Shakes. Per. iii. ii. 41 Or Tie my treasure vp in silken Bagges. 1706E. Ward Wooden World Diss. (1708) 70 His Bob Wig ty'd up behind like a Horse-tail. 1833H. Martineau Manch. Strike ii. 19 He tore my arm one day,..father got an apothecary to tie it up. 1838Dickens Nich. Nick. xxii, They had tied up the luggage. 1865‘L. Carroll’ Alice's Adv. Wonderland xi. 172 A large canvass bag, which tied up at the mouth with strings.
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.
c1560[see c]. 1579W. Wilkinson Confut. Familye of Love Ep. Ded. *iij, The bloudy bandoges of the Romish Sinagogue be tyed vp. 1611Shakes. Cymb. iv. i. 24 My Horse is tyed vp safe. 1719De Foe Crusoe (1840) I. iii. 53 A malefactor..is tied up. 1883Gilmour 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. Also (chiefly pass.; orig. U.S.) to hold up; to keep busy or occupied.
[c1435Torr. Portugal 2658 Sith he did make vp-tyed Chirchus and abbeys wyde, For hym and his to praye.] c1560Grindal in Foxe A. & M. (1583) 1390/2 He hath deserued more gentlenesse at your hande, then to be tied vp so shorte. 1592Shakes. Rom. & Jul. iv. v. 32 Death that hath tane her hence..Ties vp my tongue, and will not let me speake. 1658–9Burton's Diary (1828) IV. 226, I would have you not to tie up your hands from consideration of either. 1768Col. Churchill in Jesse Selwyn & Contemp. (1843) II. 289 Being tied up by my father's will from assisting my younger children during my life. 1879Stainer Music of Bible 173 It is not tied up in a strait-jacket like a modern chant. 1887C. B. George 40 Years on Rail vii. 140, I ran into a snow-storm that tied us up until we were six days making the run. 1907Springfield (Mass.) Weekly Republican 10 Oct. 16 Traffic west of Springfield was tied up until about midnight. 1935D. L. Sayers Gaudy Night xiv. 295, I meant to come round yesterday evening, but I got tied up with people. 1941B. Schulberg What makes Sammy Run? iii. 53 He was tied up in a story conference. 1959W. D. Pereira North Flight ii. 29 Sir Arthur's terribly tied up at the moment and regrets he cannot speak to you. 1973New Yorker 24 Feb. 36/1 The World Almanac and Book of Facts is a small buoy indeed but one that, whenever we stop to read it, ties us up for several hours. 1978Nature 21 Sept. p. xii/2 The computer or scope is tied up only a fraction of a second while the exposure is made. 1980D. Lodge How far can you Go? iv. 125 She sent her apologies, but she's tied up organizing some bazaar.
d. To moor (a ship or boat); also absol., or (usually) intr. for pass. said of the vessel.
1853Kane 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. 1886E. Arnold India Revisited iii. 33 At night every steamer ‘ties up’. 1893E. 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.
1822J. W. Croker in C. Papers 21 June, He has tied up his real estates as tight as he could. 1841Thackeray Gt. Hoggarty Diam. 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. a1859Macaulay 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. 1870M. 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.
1760Foote Minor i. Wks. 1799 I. 241, I have a great mind to tie up, and ruin the rascals. 1903Farmer & 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 n. 5]. 1903Farmer & Henley Slang Dict. s.v., To tie up..= to knock out (pugilists'); tied-up = (1) finished, settled. 1909Westm. 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.
1894Sir J. D. Astley Fifty Years Life I. 158 A comelier couple parson has seldom..tied up.
i. to tie (a person) up in(to) knots (or a knot): see knot n.1 10 a.
j. intr. To associate or unite oneself or one's interests with (or to). Also trans., to associate (one thing) with another. orig. U.S. Cf. tie-up n. 7 b.
1888Texas Siftings 3 Mar. 3/1 He's all O.K. There is no subterfuge about him... He is a man who will do to tie up to. 1903N.Y. Even. Post 5 Dec. 1 It becomes his first interest to make business for that yard. He can best do this by tying up with the other navy yard representatives on the committee. 1904Indianapolis News 21 June 6 The assurance that Captain New is to have a good post may be the reason that so many fellows want to tie up to him. 1925Round Table June 593 It is clearly to South Africa's interest to tie up definitely either with sterling..or with gold. 1928Daily Express 13 June 3/4 Registered readers..have..‘tied up’ with the newspaper which..offers the best..insurance benefits. 1943[see generation 2 b]. 1958Times Lit. Suppl. 19 Sept. 526/2 [He] does not rest solely on his spade but takes every opportunity of tying up archaeological discoveries with references obtainable from written authorities.
k. To bring to a satisfactory conclusion.
1954‘R. Crompton’ William & Moon Rocket i. 25 Taking that lorry's number and giving a description of where the shed was on the Minster road. Tied things up a treat, that did. 1959Listener 12 Feb. 305/1 When the play ends..one is left intentionally with the feeling that not everything has been tied up. 1973A. Broinowski Take One Ambassador vii. 90 The trade mark of the few in the know. That ties it all up. 1980S. Brett Dead Side of Mike xiii. 147 It all fits in... It just ties up the whole package.
l. intr. = sense 11 b above.
1959M. Gilbert Blood & Judgement xiii. 138 ‘That would make him..in his late fifties now.’ ‘Which ties up all right with our man.’ 1968Listener 20 June 799/2 This may well tie up with the fact that he was an intensely religious person who believed in people going to hell and being saved. 1974J. Aiken Midnight is Place iv. 130 ‘He had had two men sent to jail for protesting.’ ‘Yes, that seems to tie oop with what we had heard.’
Add:[3.] g. Philately. To associate (a stamp) with the cover to which it is affixed by printing the cancellation partly on the stamp and partly on the cover. Freq. const. to and in pass.
1950L. N. & M. Williams Collecting Postage Stamps 134 A stamp is said to be tied to piece or cover when a single impression of the cancellation appears partly on the stamp and partly on the piece or cover. 1972A. Blair World of Stamps 100 The Maltese Cross..cancellation..can still be bought at a low price ‘tying’ an imperforate Penny Red of 1841 to the cover. 1975Catal. Hi-Hat Auction (Stamp-Ade Co., Cleveland, Ohio) 22 Mar. 1 Refolded double page letter: Philadelphia to Boston: franked with two 5¢ 1847's: tied with 4 blue grid cancels. 1987Stamps Feb. 23/3 Entire letter bearing 1873–80 4d sage green, plate 15, in a horizontal strip of 3, tied by ‘C35’ to London at {pstlg}1,045.
▪ III. tie
see tye n.1 and n.2, and tye v. |