What is the Latin word for tie?

The usual Latin words for “tie” are ligō, alligō, dēligō; also illigō, astringō, religō. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.

English → Latin

“tie” in Latin

ligōto tie, bind; to bandage, wrap around; to unite alligōto bind to, up or around something, tie, fetter, fasten; bandage; to hold fast, hinder, detain; to oblige, lay under obl dēligōto pick off, pluck off; to cull; to choose or select; to enroll, levy illigōto attach, fasten, bind, tie on astringōto draw close, bind or tie together; tighten, contract; to check, repress, restrain; to put under obligation, oblige, ne religōto bind fast; to moor; to unbind revinciōto bind back, tie back, fasten around; to bind, fasten vinculumAny instrument whereby anything is bound or tied up; bond, band, fetter, chain, cord, tie, link; a bond, obligation, bin nōdusa knot (in rope); a knot (in wood); a knob cōpulōto bind or tie together, unite, join, couple; to associate with; to connect

Riddle & Arnold A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon, 1864

tie v.

ligare: alligare: deligare: illigare: astringere (to draw, bind tightly): religare: revincire (to bind backward). To tie on to, aliquid in re illigare: to tie anybody to a post, aliquem alligare ad palum: to tie anybody to a chariot, aliquem illigare in currum or religare ad currum: to tie one’s hands behind one’s back, manus religare; manus illigare or religare post tergum: to tie up, substringere: to tie up the hair, capillos in nodum colligere (Ov., Met., 3, 170); obliquare crinem nodoque substringere (Tac., Germ., 38, 2): to tie up to or on anything, alligare, deligare, astringere ad aliquid; illigare in aliqua re: to tie up a vine, vites capistrare or perstringere (to bind fast); adjugare vites (to trellis-work); vites arboribus applicare (to trees).

tie s.

vinculum (PROP. and figuratively): nodus, copula (figuratively). There is a closer tie among kinsmen, arctior colligatio est societatis propinquorum: the strict tie of friendship, amicitiae conjunctionisque necessitudo.

Quick answer

What is the Latin word for tie?: The usual Latin words for “tie” are ligō, alligō, dēligō; also illigō, astringō, religō. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.

Entry from J. E. Riddle & T. K. Arnold, A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon (rev. C. Anthon, New York: Harper, 1864), digitised by Fergus J. P. Walsh, CC BY-SA 4.0; Latin markup adapted by latindictionary.co.