ligate: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C2Formal, Technical, Medical
Quick answer
What does “ligate” mean?
To tie or bind something, especially a blood vessel or duct, with a ligature.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
To tie or bind something, especially a blood vessel or duct, with a ligature.
To bind or connect (things, especially in biology/medicine) together, often by tying or encircling with a thread-like material; can also be used metaphorically to mean joining concepts or elements.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant spelling or usage differences. The word is technical and used identically in both varieties.
Connotations
Purely technical/surgical; no cultural connotations.
Frequency
Extremely rare in everyday speech, used with near-identical frequency in professional medical/scientific contexts in both the UK and US.
Grammar
How to Use “ligate” in a Sentence
[Surgeon] ligated [Blood Vessel] with [Ligature][Enzyme] ligates [DNA Fragment] to [Vector]It is necessary to ligate [Object] before proceeding.Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “ligate” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- The surgeon will ligate the bleeder before closing.
- We need to ligate these fragments to complete the plasmid.
American English
- After identifying the artery, the doctor ligated it with a synthetic suture.
- The enzyme T4 DNA ligase is used to ligate the insert into the vector.
adverb
British English
- (None - does not exist as a standard adverb)
American English
- (None - does not exist as a standard adverb)
adjective
British English
- (Not standard; 'ligated' is the participial adjective) The ligated vessel showed no further leakage.
American English
- (Not standard; 'ligated' is the participial adjective) The ligated duct was then removed.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Virtually never used.
Academic
Used in medical, biological, and biochemical research papers and textbooks.
Everyday
Extremely rare; would only be used by medical professionals outside of work.
Technical
The primary domain. Common in surgery manuals, molecular biology protocols, and anatomical studies.
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “ligate”
- Using it as a general synonym for 'connect' (e.g., 'The bridge ligates the two towns').
- Misspelling as 'lightgate', 'ligite'.
- Confusing it with 'legate' (an envoy).
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, it is a highly technical term used almost exclusively in medical, surgical, and molecular biology contexts.
The related noun is 'ligation', which refers to the act or process of ligating. The tool used is a 'ligature'.
Rarely. Its primary use is medical/surgical. A secondary, specific use is in biochemistry for joining DNA sequences ('DNA ligation'). It is not used in general conversation or writing.
To 'suture' is to sew up a wound or incision. To 'ligate' is specifically to tie off a tubular structure (like a vessel or duct) with a ligature, which is a type of suture material used for tying. Ligation is often a step within a larger suturing procedure.
To tie or bind something, especially a blood vessel or duct, with a ligature.
Ligate is usually formal, technical, medical in register.
Ligate: in British English it is pronounced /lʌɪˈɡeɪt/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˈlaɪˌɡeɪt/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “(None - technical term)”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of a LIGature (a thing for tying) being used to LIGate a vessel. "LIGate" = use a "LIG"ature.
Conceptual Metaphor
BINDING IS CONTROLLING/SEALING (e.g., to ligate a vessel is to control bleeding, to seal it off).
Practice
Quiz
In which context is the verb 'ligate' MOST appropriately used?