verb | noun
tietie1 /taɪ/ ●●● S2 W2 verb (ties, tied, tying) 1
STRING/ROPE a)[transitive] to fasten things together or hold them in a particular position using a piece of string, rope, etc.: tie something to/behind/onto etc. something A set of keys was tied onto his belt.tie somebody to something They tied him to a chair.tie something together We tied the boats together.tie something with something The flowers were tied with a red ribbon.tie somebody’s hands/feet (=tie them together) b)[transitive] to make a knot with a piece or pieces of string, cloth, etc., especially to fasten something: Sheryl tied her sweater around her waist.tie somebody’s shoes/shoelaces Daddy, can you tie my shoe?tie a knot/bow I tied a knot in one end of the thread. c)[intransitive] to be fastened using pieces of string, ribbon, etc. in a knot or bow: The dress ties at the back.► see thesaurus at fasten2GAME/COMPETITION [intransitive] if two players, teams, etc. tie in a game or competition, they gain an equal number of points by the end of the competition: tie for In the end, three teams tied for third place.tie with California tied with Louisiana. → see also be tied at tied3CONNECT [transitive] to connect someone or something closely to someone or something else or form a relationship between them: tie somebody/something together Shared experiences tie people together.be tied to something At least 20% of their pay was tied to performance.4be tied to something a)to be unable to leave the situation, place, job, etc. that you are in: I don’t want to be tied to one job for the rest of my life. b)to like something that you have very much and not want to lose it or leave it: Some people are very tied to their pets.5tie the knot informal to get married6tie yourself (up) in knots informal to become very upset because you are worried, nervous, or confused7tie one on informal to get drunk[Origin: Old English tigan] → see also somebody’s hands are tied at hand1 (23)tie something ↔ back phrasal verb to make your hair stay away from your face by fastening it at the back of your head with a band, ribbon, etc.: She tied back her hair.tie somebody down phrasal verb to stop someone from being free to do the things he or she wants to do: tie somebody down to something Ken doesn’t want to be tied down to any one woman.tie in phrasal verb1 if one idea, statement, etc. ties in with another, it is similar to it so that they both seem more likely to be true: tie in with Her description tied in with that of the other witness.2 tie (something ↔) in to be related to something, or to make something have a connection or relationship with something else: tie in with How does all this tie in with our long term goals? → see also tie-intie up phrasal verb1PERSON tie somebody ↔ up to tie someone’s arms, legs, etc. so that he or she cannot move: They tied him up so he wouldn’t escape.2OBJECT tie something ↔ up to fasten something together by using string or rope tied in a knot or a bow: He tied up all the old newspapers.3BOAT/ANIMAL tie something ↔ up to tie something such as an animal or a boat to something with a rope or chain so it doesn’t go away4be tied up spoken to be so busy that you cannot do anything else: I’m going to be tied up all afternoon.5get tied up spoken to become busy with something so that you cannot leave where you are: Sorry I’m late – I got tied up at the office.6TRAFFIC/PHONE/COURT OF LAW ETC. tie something ↔ up to block a system or use it so much that other people cannot use it or it does not work effectively: Protesters tied up traffic on Highway 12 for three hours today. Don’t tie up the phone lines making personal calls.7MONEY tie something ↔ up if you tie your money up in something, it is all being used for that thing and you cannot use it for anything else: tie something up in something We’ve tied up most of our money in real estate.8tie somebody/something up in court to keep someone or something involved in a case in a court of law for a long time without ever deciding anything9be tied up with something to be very closely related to something: Christianity in Africa is tied up with its colonial past.10tie up (a few/some) loose ends to do the things that are necessary in order to finish a piece of work11ARRANGEMENTS tie something ↔ up to finish arranging all the details of something such as an agreement or a plan12BOAT if the passengers of a boat tie up somewhere, they tie their boat to something and stop for a while verb | noun
tietie2 ●●● S2 W2 noun [countable] 1
AROUND NECK a long narrow piece of cloth that someone, especially a man, wears around the neck, tied in a special knot in front SYN necktie: Do you know how to tie a tie?a shirt/suit/jacket and tie He was wearing a shirt and tie. → see also black-tie, bow tie2RELATIONSHIP a relationship between two people, groups, or countries: family tiesclose/strong etc. ties He has strong ties to the business community. She severed her ties with the company six months ago.3RESULT [usually singular] the result of a game, competition, or election in which two or more people get the same number of points, votes, etc.: The game ended in a tie.a tie for first/second/third etc. (place) There was a three-way tie for second place.4FASTENER a piece of string, wire, etc. used to fasten or close something such as a bag → see also twist tie5RAILROAD a heavy piece of wood or metal supporting a railroad track