tie-
in combination. [f. tie n.1 or tie v.]
1. Attributive or objective combinations of tie n. in various senses: tie fabric; tie-block Naut., the block on the yard through which the tie passes (see tie n. 2 a); tie-break, -breaker, a means of deciding a winner out of two or more contestants who have tied; also fig.; so tie-breaking ppl. a. and vbl. n.; tie-clasp, clip, a small ornamental clasp for securing the ends of a tie to one's shirt; tie-maker, a maker of ties (in quots., in senses 4 and 7 of the n.); tie-pin, a pin, usually ornamental, worn in a man's neck-tie; tie press, an instrument for pressing ties; tie rack, a rack on which to hang neckties; tie-shooting, the shooting off of a tie (tie n. 10) in rifle practice; so tie-shoot, -shot; tie silk, a strong silk fabric used esp. for ties and clothing; cf. foulard 1; tie tack, a two-part ornamental fastener for a necktie, one part of which is worn under the shirt to receive the point of the part worn on the tie.
| 1745 P. Thomas Jrnl. Anson's Voy. 145 We reev'd..a new Strap to the Fore-top-sail *Tye-block. c 1860 H. Stuart Seaman's Catech. 76 There are two iron straps round the yard for the tye blocks to shackle to. |
| 1970 Times 5 Mar. 13 In principle, the *tie-break is an undesirable expedient, but there is a case for it in indoor tournaments confined to one court. 1974 Observer 1 Sept. 18/6 In the tie break Miss Mappin led 4–1. 1979 Daily Tel. 10 Dec. 19/1 Nigel..failed in a tie-break to win the British Chess championship in August. |
| 1961 Webster, *Tie-breaker. 1970 New Yorker 10 Oct. 179/1 There are several species of tie-breakers, but the one that Bill Talbert, the tournament director, selected..was the ninepoint sudden-death variety. 1971 Computers & Humanities VI. 68 The identifiers will be indexed and will serve as ultimate tie-breakers in all sorting operations. 1979 G. Hammond Dead Game xiv. 188 At the end of the quiz, honours were even..and the chairman asked for a tie-breaker from the audience. 1982 Daily Tel. 21 Sept. 16/4 [Rifle-shooting.] Belither..beat Paul Kent..by a single point on a tiebreaker. |
| 1970 Times 1 Oct. 10/6 Okker, of the Netherlands, had to battle through two *tie-breaking sets to beat El Shafei..7–6, 7–6. 1971 Jrnl. Gen. Psychol. LXXXV. 265 The stratification procedure entails a large number of random assignments and tie-breakings. 1978 R. Nixon Memoirs 85 His only important functions were to cast occasional tie-breaking votes in the Senate. |
| 1955 W. Gaddis Recognitions ii. i. 285 They..fastened monogrammed *tie-clasps the more firmly. 1971 ‘D. Shannon’ Murder with Love (1972) ix. 153 His dapper tailoring, gold cuff links and tie-clasp. |
| 1898–9 T. Eaton & Co. Catal. Fall & Winter 16/1 *Tie clips... For holding the tie in place on shirt or blouse fronts, 2 for 5c. 1913 [see innovation 6]. 1976 ‘R. Boyle’ Cry Rape xii. 62 It wasn't an elegant tie-clip. Not the kind with a diamond or emerald in it. |
| 1931 Fairchild's Fabrics Buyers' Guide I. 143 (heading) *Tie and muffler fabrics. 1977 Man-Made Textiles in India XX. 92/3 The attributes which make a tie fabric satisfactory in use are similar to those in a dress fabric. |
| 1901 Daily Chron. 25 July 6/6 The girl..is a *tie-maker. 1904 Longm. Mag. Aug. 306 Any moderately good tie-maker can turn out thirty ties a day in good timber. |
| 1780 Traveller's Guide, A silver *tie-pin, three silver studs. 1899 Daily News 22 June 7/3 His stand-up collar and his tie-pin. |
| 1926–7 Army & Navy Stores Catal. 757/3 ‘Watts’ *tie press..9½ in. by 31/4 in. a 1974 T. R. Dennis in J. Burnett Useful Toil (1974) iii. 354 A very cheap watch from my parents..a tie-press from a friend. |
| 1916 Daily Colonist (Victoria, B.C.) 1 July 9/3 (Advt.), Pipe Racks, *Tie Racks and Collar Bags, regular to 75c. 1974 L. Deighton Spy Story ii. 22 Rummaging through the wardrobe I..noticed the tie rack had been moved. |
| 1909 Daily Chron. 23 July 7/2 He tied for the ‘Daily Telegraph’ Cup and finished second in the *tie shoot. |
| 1902 Ibid. 23 July 6/3 The *tie-shooting for the first Coronation Prize. |
| 1887 Daily News 18 July 2/1 Many men might beat him in the *tie shots. |
| 1920 M. S. Woolman Clothing iv. 53 Ribbons, velvets, *tie silks..and knitting silks are made of this fiber. 1934 Vogue 30 May 96 (caption) Jenny makes a tailored suit of checked tie silk. 1961 Guardian 30 Mar. 9/4 Charming and practical Tie-silk shirtwaisters. |
| 1961 Webster, *Tie tack. 1962 ‘D. Shannon’ Extra Kill xi. 171 He'd always wear a tie clasp, or one of those new tie tacks. 1970 New Yorker 10 Jan. 56/3 (Advt.), Peace Tie Tac. 1980 Outdoor Life (U.S.) (Northeast ed.) Oct. 154/3 (Advt.), Detective profession. Easy home study; free tie tack or lapel pin. |
2. Combinations of
tie v. with adverbs:
tie-back, a contrivance for tying something back,
esp. in a woman's dress; also, a device for holding a drawn curtain back from the window;
tie-down, the state (of an aircraft, etc.) of being tied down or otherwise kept on the ground; also, a device to or with which something may be tied down;
freq. attrib.;
tie-on a., that is fastened on by tying. See also
tie-in,
tie-off,
tie-up.
| 1880 World 29 Sept. 15 The days of ‘tie-backs’, either in the dressing of ladies or artificial flies, were not yet. 1891 Daily News 27 July 2/1 Even Lady Harberton could scarcely disapprove of the gored skirt with no tie-backs. 1927 Ladies' Home Jrnl. Dec. 35/3 Flat festoons of green used for tie-backs on the curtains. 1961 Times 14 Jan. 9/7 Brass tie-backs in various shapes for holding the drawn but voluminous folds of the mid-Victorian drawing room curtains became a period ‘must’. 1982 Barr & York Official Sloane Ranger Handbk. 148/1 Sloane windows need curtains with a capital C: with pelmets, twiddly bits, bands, tassels, tie-backs, edging. |
| 1952 Sun (Baltimore) 4 Aug. 1/5 $1 tiedown fees for [flying] saucers less than 1,000 feet in diameter. 1955 Ibid. 11 Feb. 2/4 Exhaustive ‘tie-down’ ground tests are scheduled for the XV-3..before actual flight tests begin. 1956 W. A. Heflin U.S. Air Force Dict. 525/1 Tie-down, a ring, hook, stake, or the like to which something is secured; a tie-down fitting. 1969 Jane's Freight Containers 1968–69 418/1 Forklift entries and tie-down inserts are provided. 1971 Flying Apr. 13/1 Big tie-down areas for smaller airplanes. 1974 Union (S. Carolina) Daily Times 22 Apr. 7/7 (Advt.), Mobile homes anchored: Storm tie-downs to guard you against wind damage. 1978 F. Mullally Deadly Payoff xii. 171 He let the loosened end of the tie-down rope fall to the ground and kicked the chocks away from the front wheels. 1982 Chicago Sun-Times 31 Oct. 8 Another 30 residences..have planes with tie-downs instead of hangars. |
| 1910 Times 4 July 6/5 Tie-on labels should not be used. 1949 Tie-on [see occluder]. 1967 E. Short Embroidery & Fabric Collage iii. 80 Tie-on cushions for dining chairs. 1971 ‘D. Halliday’ Dolly & Doctor Bird xii. 161 My skin became brown..between my tie-on tops and my hipsters. |
3. Combinations with
ns., in which the first element may be either
tie n. or v.:
ˈtie-bar, a bar which ties or acts as a tie, in a building or other structure;
ˈtie-beam, a horizontal beam which acts as a tie: see
esp. quot. 1823;
tie belt, a belt which is fastened by tying; hence
tie-belted a.;
tie-bolt n., a bolt which ties together the component parts of a structure; hence
tie-bolt v., trans. to fasten with tie-bolts;
tie-cord, a cord used for tying something;
tie-dye n. = tie-and-dye, sense 4 below;
freq. attrib.; also as
v. trans., to dye by this process; also
absol.; hence
tie-dyed ppl. a.,
-dying vbl. n.;
tie game, a game in which the result is a tie;
tie-knot, a knot with which something is tied;
tie-match, a subsequent match played to decide a tie;
tie-neck, a collar attached at the back of the neck but left loose in front so that the ends can be tied; hence
tie-necked a.;
ˈtie-ˌperiwig = tie-wig;
tie-plate, (
a)
Naut. a narrow iron plate placed longitudinally or diagonally to space and strengthen deck-beams; (
b) a plate to receive the pull of a tie-rod, and distribute the pressure on a supporting beam or wall; (
c) a protecting metal plate laid between a sleeper and the rail;
tie-post, a post to which a horse, etc. may be tied;
tie rail orig. U.S., a rail or railing to which horses may be hitched;
tie-rib, a rib forming a tie in some structure (in
quot. fig.);
tie rod, (
a) a long tie-bolt or iron rod which acts as a tie in a building or other structure; (
b) a track rod, or one of the rods of which it is composed, in the steering gear of a motor vehicle;
tie-rope, a rope for tying something; in
quot. c 1525, ?
= tie n. 2;
tie-stay, a stay acting as a tie, used to support some part of a building;
tie-strap, a strap for tying up a horse or other animal;
tie-string, a string for tying something,
e.g. a bonnet or other part of costume;
tie-teeth West Indian colloq., any sticky foodstuff which is difficult to chew;
tie-tie, one of several cords fastened to a hammock and serving to tie it up in a roll (
Cent. Dict. 1891); a Pidgin English name for any string;
tie-vote, a vote resulting in a tie, the numbers on each side being equal: see
tie n. 10;
tie-wall, a wall having the function of tying together the parts of a structure;
esp. ‘a transverse wall in the hollow spandril of an arch, at right angles to the spandril-wall’ (Knight). See also
tie-dog,
tie-wig.
| 1861 Fairbairn Iron 91 The reverberatory furnace..consists externally of an oblong casing of iron plates, firmly bound together by iron *tie-bars. |
| 1823 P. Nicholson Pract. Build. 125 A *tie-beam is a piece of timber, connecting the feet of the principal rafters, in order to prevent them from spreading. 1851 Sir F. Palgrave Norm. & Eng. I. 436 The open roof and tyebeams of a Roman Basilica. 1853 Sir H. Douglas Milit. Bridges (ed. 3) 308 Considered as a tie-beam its longitudinal strength depends upon the key. |
| 1964 McCall's Sewing xii. 227/1 A *tie belt, without stiffening, becomes a string in no time. 1977 Daily Mirror 16 Mar. 16/2 (Advt.), The tie-belt style is 12–18. |
| 1976 Woman's Weekly 6 Nov. 4/2 Tunic top is hip-length, *tie-belted and tie-necked. |
| 1838 Civil Eng. & Arch. Jrnl. I. 126/1 Placing the *tie⁓bolts diagonally, instead of horizontally. |
| 1874 Thearle Naval Archit. 59 Grooved and tongued together at their edges, and nailed to the cants, being also *tie-bolted where necessary. |
| 1907 C. C. Brown China in Leg. & Story xvii. 240 A queue, scarce big enough to carry its black *tie⁓cord. |
| 1904 G. Watt Indian Art at Delhi vii. xxxi. 255 From Chamba State has been received..a most remarkable..cotton fabric woven in alternate bands of cotton and gold thread, the cotton being *tie-dyed so as to show large wavy formations. 1926 Daily Colonist (Victoria, B.C.) 22 July 8/7 (Advt.), Marvelous tie-dye patterns, glorious color-blendings are amazingly simple to make. 1951 A. N. Gulati Patolu of Gujarat 18 The first essential step, therefore, is to tie-dye both warp and weft in conformity with the proposed design in the fabric. 1956 J. Irwin in Textiles & Ornaments India 29 The so-called ikat-technique is another kind of tie-dye. 1970 Time 20 Apr. 72 The stars fussed with their see-through dresses, tie-dyes and black ties and then paraded up a red-carpeted walkway. 1971 New Yorker 4 Sept. 61 What the boys who tie-dye and the grandmothers who rug-hook are doing is, in effect, as mechanical as anything done by a machine. 1975 Advocate-News (Barbados) 28 June 1/7 Organza flowers, soft toys, tie-dye and other craft work will be displayed by the YWCA craft group. 1977 Guardian 10 Jan. 8/1 The pallid youth in the tie-die shirt with a sewn-on picture of Marx. |
| 1904 G. Watt Indian Art at Delhi vii. xxxi. 257 The beauty of these warp and weft *tie-dyed textiles. 1978 J. Updike Coup (1979) vi. 236 Their countrymen wearing cowboy hats, blue jeans, tie-dyed T-shirts. |
| 1904 G. Watt Indian Art at Delhi vii. xxxi. 252 The once famous Bandana handkerchiefs may be given as the best known example of *tie-dyeing. 1939 G. Clark Archæol. & Society iii. 63 The tunics of the notables, which were..coloured by the tie-dying method. 1970 Time 26 Jan. 40 The art is almost as old as India—where it is called bandhnu. It is as new as the boutiques that blossom along Sunset Strip and Madison Avenue—where it is called tie-dying. |
| 1742 in H. T. Waghorn Dawn of Cricket (1906) 12 That played the *tie game the beginning of the season. 1832 P. Egan Bk. of Sports xxii. 347/2 In the first innings Woking gained 71 runs, Shiere then went in and got 71. Second innings, Woking 71; ditto, Shiere 71; it was consequently a tye-game, under circumstances unprecedented in the annals of cricket-playing. 1928 Collier's 29 Dec. 17/4 A tie game in football is certainly more thrilling..than a one-sided game. 1960 Washington Post 18 Oct. a18/1 It was Eddie Erdelatz, the Navy football coach, who once described a tie game as an unsatisfactory experience that permitted no enthusiasm. ‘A tie game is like kissing your sister,’ he said. |
| 1800 Coleridge Wallenst. i. iii. 64 The *tie-knot here Is off—this hair must not hang so dishevelled. |
| 1864 Daily Tel. 26 Oct., Third Kent (Lee) v. Eighth Kent (Sydenham).—These two corps fired for a *tie match. 1898 Westm. Gaz. 26 Feb. 3/3 In case of ties..the prizes are to be divided, except the first prize, which must be determined by a tie match of four games. |
| 1968 J. Ironside Fashion Alphabet 54 *Tie neck. 1983 Daily Tel. 28 Feb. 24/5 The Queen's outfit was a navy-and-white jacket and dress with..a tie neck. |
| 1973 Country Life 22 Feb. 490/3 A *tie-necked silk shirt. 1977 Harpers & Queen Sept. 44/1 A tie-necked champagne blouse in washable crepe. |
| 1727 Gay Begg. Op. i. iii, Three *tye⁓perriwigs and a piece of broad cloth. 1771 Smollett Humph. Cl. II. 23 June, An old Scotch lawyer, in a tie⁓periwig. |
| 1874 Thearle Naval Archit. 119 The deck fastenings are not so efficient in iron as in wood beams, and hence both stringer and *tie-plates are of service in opposing the first tendency of the deck to elongate. |
| 1861 Harper's Mag. Feb. 424/2 He alighted,..throwing the reins over a *tie-post. 1884 Ibid. Jan. 328/2 Throwing the reins over a tie-post. |
| 1920 C. E. Mulford Johnny Nelson 238 He'll never forget my kickin' him off'n th' *tie-rail. 1970 Sunday Mail Mag. (Brisbane) 9 Aug. 14/2 The stranger dismounted and hitched his horse to the tierails in front of the pub. |
| 1896 Kipling Seven Seas, Deep Sea Cables ii, Here on the *tie-ribs of earth Words..flicker and flutter and beat. |
| 1839 Civil Eng. & Arch. Jrnl. II. 191/2 Four iron *tye-rods with washers placed transversely through the arch. 1910 J. Gunn Practical Design Motor Cars ix. 230 The rod which transmits the motion of the steering gear to the front wheels should be connected at the front end..to the tie-rod. 1922 Joyce Ulysses 698 Water closet..provided with opaque singlepane oblong window, tipup seat, bracket lamp, brass tierod brace. 1966 McGraw-Hill Encycl. Sci. & Technol. XIII. 640/1 In pressure piping, large forces are produced between connected parts. The pipes or parts are constrained by tie rods. 1976 Jrnl. (Newcastle) 26 Nov. (Advt.), Viva, 1969, white, taxed 11 months,..new balls and tie rods. |
| c 1525 in Archæologia XLVII. 332, ij. roopes, called *tye ropes, for the Henry Grace Dieu. 1886 T. Hardy Mayor Casterbr. iii, The pens for sheep, the tie-ropes for horses. |
| 1892 Daily News 20 Feb. 3/4 The Repair of Canterbury Cathedral... A series of *tiestays are being inserted. |
| 1877 Knight Dict. Mech., *Tie-strap. 1901 Munsey's Mag. XXV. 737/2 An attendant snapped a tie strap into his halter and led him back to barn or paddock. |
| 1897 Outing (U.S.) XXX. 379/1 A rubber blanket..with *tie-strings at the four corners, can be made into a first-rate shelter by tying two corners to poles driven into the ground, and the other corners to pegs. |
| c 1915 in Cassidy & Le Page Dict. Jamaican Eng. (1967) 444 *Tie-teeth. 1953 Caribbean Q. III. i. 9 Tie-teeth (candy, sweets, or other very sticky food). 1975 E. L. Ortiz Caribbean Cookery (1977) 266 If it is overcooked the mango paste turns into what Jamaicans graphically call tie-teeth. |
| 1774 E. Long Hist. Jamaica II. 427 The Negroes seem very fond of reduplications..as..*tie-tie, lilly-lilly, fum-fum. 1827 Hamel, Obeah Man II. 257 Stretching what they called a tie-tie of tent-ropes, hempen cordage, mahoe bark, and bush ropes, all spliced together, to form..a guide for those who could be induced to cross the bridge. 1883 C. A. Moloney W. African Fisheries 17 (Fish. Exhib. Publ.) The..occupants..standing erect, or perched on seats—cross sticks, secured by tie-tie on gunwale of canoe. 1931 Discovery May 153/1 The whole of the frame-work [of a Nigerian house] is secured with what is known in pidgin English as tie-tie which is fibre from certain plants. 1958 C. Achebe Things fall Apart i. vii. 47 There were little holes..in the upper levels of the wall, and through these Okonkwo passed the rope, or tie-tie, to the boys and they passed it round the wooden stays and then back to him; and in this way the cover was strengthened on the wall. |
| 1894 Daily News 6 Oct. 6/5 A proposal only lost..by a *tie-vote. |
4. Phrasal
Comb.:
tie-and-dye, a technique for producing a mottled appearance in dyed cloth by folding it and tying it before it is put in the dye bath; a garment or piece of cloth so dyed;
freq. attrib. and unhyphened.
| 1886 Jrnl. Indian Art I. 117 The wonderfully constructed patterns of Patolo weaving with ‘tie and die [sic]’ warp and woof..testify..to the skill achieved by Indian dyers and weavers. 1928 Daily Express 21 May 5/2 The ‘tie and dye’ process—an old craft which gives a charming hazed effect. 1937 M. Covarrubias Island of Bali i. vii. 196 The Balinese often decorate pieces of silk by the tie-and-dye process. 1976 Billings (Montana) Gaz. 7 July 9-b/7 Demonstrations in the hotel courtyard will include..silver casting, tie and dye, silk screening and oil painting. |