ligate

verb

li·​gate ˈlī-ˌgāt 

lī-ˈgāt

ligated; ligating

transitive verb

1

: to tie with a ligature

2

: to join together (something, such as DNA or protein chains) by a chemical process

Examples of ligate in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

If that frequency holds, there are on the order of 1011 ligating ribozymes among the sequences of this size. — Jonathan M. Gitlin, ArsTechnica, 13 Feb. 2026

Imagine how your leg would function if all the branches of the femoral artery were ligated. — WSJ, 11 July 2019

Word History

Etymology

Latin ligatus

First Known Use

1599, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for ligate

• bigot
• frigate
• spigot

Medical Definition

ligate

transitive verb

li·​gate ˈlī-ˌgāt, lī-ˈ 

ligated; ligating

1

: to tie with a ligature

2

: to join together (as DNA or protein chains) by a chemical process

the DNA fragments were enzymatically ligated