(~s, tying, ~d)
Frequency: The word is one of the 1500 most common words in English.
1.
If you ~ two things together or ~ them, you fasten them together with a knot.
He ~d the ends of the plastic bag together...
Mr Saunders ~d her hands and feet.
VERB: V n adv/prep, V n
2.
If you ~ something or someone in a particular place or position, you put them there and fasten them using rope or string.
He had ~d the dog to one of the trees near the canal...
He ~d her hands behind her back.
VERB: V n to n, V n prep/adv
3.
If you ~ a piece of string or cloth around something or ~ something with a piece of string or cloth, you put the piece of string or cloth around it and fasten the ends together.
She ~d her scarf over her head...
Roll the meat and ~ it with string...
Dad handed me a big box wrapped in gold foil and ~d with a red ribbon.
VERB: V n prep/adv, V n with n, V-ed
4.
If you ~ a knot or bow in something or ~ something in a knot or bow, you fasten the ends together.
He took a short length of rope and swiftly ~d a slip knot...
She ~d a knot in her scarf...
She wore a checked shirt ~d in a knot above the navel.
VERB: V n, V n in n, V-ed
5.
When you ~ something or when something ~s, you close or fasten it using a bow or knot.
He pulled on his heavy suede shoes and ~d the laces.
...a long white thing around his neck that ~d in front in a floppy bow.
VERB: V n, V
6.
A ~ is a long narrow piece of cloth that is worn round the neck under a shirt collar and ~d in a knot at the front. Ties are worn mainly by men.
Jason had taken off his jacket and loosened his ~.
N-COUNT
7.
If one thing is ~d to another or two things are ~d, the two things have a close connection or link.
Their cancers are not so clearly ~d to radiation exposure...
My social life and business life are closely ~d.
= link, connect
VERB: usu passive, be V-ed to n, pl-n be V-ed
8.
If you are ~d to a particular place or situation, you are forced to accept it and cannot change it.
They had children and were consequently ~d 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 ~s to France...
= connection
N-COUNT: usu pl, oft N prep
10.
Railroad ~s are large heavy beams that support the rails of a railway track. (AM; in BRIT, use sleepers )
N-COUNT
11.
If two people ~ in a competition or game or if they ~ with each other, they have the same number of points or the same degree of success.
Both teams had ~d on points and goal difference...
Ronan Rafferty had ~d with Frank Nobilo.
= draw
V-RECIP: pl-n V, V with n
•
Tie is also a noun.
The first game ended in a ~.
N-COUNT
12.
In sport, a ~ 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 ~.
N-COUNT
13.
your hands are ~d: see hand
to ~ the knot: see knot
to ~ yourself in knots: see knot
see also ~d , black ~ , bow ~ , old school ~