Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English - tie

~1 v 1 »STRING/ROPE« a) to fasten one thing to another with a piece of string, rope etc  (tie sth to/behind/onto etc)  (Tie this label onto your suitcase. | tie sb to sth)  (They tied him to a lamp-post and beat him up. | tie sb's hands/feet (=tie them together)) b) also tie up to fasten a piece of string, rope etc around something to keep it closed or keep all its parts together  (tie sth with sth)  (The package had been tied with strong green string.) + around/over/under etc  (I'll just tie my hair back out of my eyes.) tie sth in bunches/bundles etc  (tie the sticks up in bundles | tie your hair back (=fasten your hair to the back of your head so that it does not reach your face)) c) to make a knot in a piece of string, rope etc, for example to fasten shoes or other clothes  (tie sb's shoelaces)  (Can you tie your shoelaces by yourself? | tie a knot/bow)  (She pulled the ribbon tightly and tied a bow.) d) to be fastened using pieces of string, ribbon (1) etc  (The dress ties at the back.) 2 »GAME/COMPETITION« also be tied if two players, teams etc tie or are tied in a game or competition, they finish it with an equal number of points  (At the end of the season, we were tied with the Tigers.) tie for first/second place  (Woosnam and Lyle tied for fourth place on 264.) 3 be tied to a) to be connected with something or dependent on it  (The flat is tied to the job.) b) to be unable to leave the situation, place, job etc that you are in  (a housewife tied to the kitchen all day) 4 tie the knot informal to get married 5 tie yourself (up) in knots BrE informal to become very confused when you are trying to explain something 6 sb's hands are tied if someone's hands are tied, they cannot do what they want because of particular conditions, rules etc  (Team manager, Ron Jones, would like to buy some new players, but his hands are tied at the moment.) 7 tie one on AmE slang to get drunk tie sb down phr v 1 to stop someone from being free to do the things they want to do  (He wouldn't marry her because he didn't want to feel tied down.) 2 tie yourself down (to sth) to make a promise or agreement that restricts what you do  (I'm happy to do the job, but I don't want to tie myself down to a particular date.) tie in phr v I + with 1 if one idea or statement ties in with another one, it helps to prove the same thing  (Marsden's conclusions tie in with our theory perfectly.) 2 to happen at the same time as something else  (We've planned the broadcast to tie in with the bicentenary celebrations.) tie up phr v 1 »PERSON« T tie someone up) to tie someone's arms, legs etc so that they cannot move  (The intruders tied Kurt up and put him in the closet.) 2 »OBJECT« T tie something up) to fasten something together by using string or rope 3 »BUSY« be tied up to be so busy that you cannot do anything else  (I can't see you tomorrow - I'm going to be tied up all day.) 4 »TRAFFIC« be tied up especially AmE if traffic is tied up, it is blocked and cannot move freely 5 »MONEY« be tied up if your money is tied up in something, it is all being used for that thing and you cannot use it for anything else + in  (My money's all tied up in the house.) 6 »ARRANGEMENTS« T tie something up) to finish arranging all the details of something such as an agreement or a plan  (We'd better tie up the details with a solicitor.) 7 be tied up with to be very closely connected with something  (Christianity in Africa is tied up with its colonial past.) 8 tie up loose ends to do the things that are necessary in order to finish a piece of work  (I just have to tie up a few loose ends before I go on vacation.) 9 »BOAT« to tie a boat to something  (We tied up alongside a barge.) ~2 n 1 »MEN'S CLOTHES« a long narrow piece of cloth that you wear around your neck, tied in a special knot in front;  (- see also black­tie, bow tie) 2 »CONNECTION/RELATIONSHIP« a relationship between two people, groups, or countries that connects them  (close economic ties between the two countries) 3 »FOR CLOSING STH« a piece of string, wire etc used to fasten or close something such as a bag 4 »RESULT« usually singular) the result of a game, competition, or election in which two or more people get the same number of points, votes etc  (end in a tie)  (The match ended in a tie.) 5 »GAME« BrE one game, especially of football, that is part of a larger competition  (the fourth round tie of the FA cup) 6 »PREVENT YOU FROM DOING STH« something that forces you to stay in one place, job etc or prevents you from being free to do what you want  (If you're the sort of person who enjoys travelling, young children can be a tie.) 7 »RAILWAY« AmE a heavy piece of wood or metal supporting a railway track; sleeper (4) BrE