Noah Webster
Ligature
LIG'ATURE, noun [Latin ligatura.]
1. Any thing that binds; a band or bandage.
2. The act of binding; as, by a strict ligature of the parts.
3. Impotence induced by magic.
4. In music, a band or line connecting notes.
5. Among printers, a double character, or a type consisting of two letters or characters united; as fl, fi, in English. The old editions of Greek authors abound with ligatures.
6. The state of being bound.
7. In medicine, stiffness of a joint.
8. In surgery, a cord or string for tying the blood vessels, particularly the arteries, to prevent hemorrhage.