ligature

  1. Noun.  (uncountable) The act of tying or binding something.
  2. Noun.  (countable) A cord or similar thing used to tie something; especially the thread used in surgery to close a vessel or duct.
  3. Noun.  (countable, linguistics) A character that visually combines multiple letters, such as æ, œ, ß or ij; also logotype. Sometimes called a typographic ligature.
  4. Noun.  (countable, music) A group of notes played as a phrase, or the curved line that indicates such a phrase.
  5. Noun.  (countable) A piece used to hold a reed to the mouthpiece on woodwind instruments.

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This entry was last updated on RefTopia from its source on 3/20/2012.