ETYM Latin ligatura, from ligare, ligatum, to bind: cf. French ligature. Related to Ally, League, Legatura, Liable, Ligament.
Any surgical device (nylon, gut, wire) used for tying a blood vessel to stop it bleeding, or to tie round the base of a growth to constrict its blood supply.
Used by surgeons to bind a vessel (as to constrict the flow of blood).

In music, notation used in the 13th–16th centuries in which two or more notes are combined to form a single symbol. Depending on the shape of the ligature, the same group of notes could indicate different rhythms. In addition to its rhythmic implications, a ligature indicates that only one syllable is to be sung for the duration of its notes, similar in function to a modern slur marking in vocal works (also known as a ligature, or tie).In music, the adjustable metal brace used to attach the reed to the mouthpiece of an instrument of the clarinet family.

In typography, a single character created from two joined letters that replaces the two separate letters. Because ligatures are not included with all digital fonts, their use may cause text problems in font substitution situations.

To ligate; to tie.