ligamentous 
posiug a ligament: as. liiinmcntoux tissue; a 
ligtiiiti'iitoit.1 connection or attachment. 
ligamentously (lig-a-men'tut-li), otfc. By 
means of a ligament. 
Being also connected ligamentously with the scapula;. 
JSncyc. Brit., XVI. 609. 
ligamentum (lig-a-men'tum), .; pi. ligamenta 
(-tji). [L. : soc iiii/unnil.'} A ligament. The 
names of the ligaments here given are commonly written 
In the Latin form. Ligamenta subflava, the yellowish 
elastic ligaments connecting the lamina of vertebrae with 
one another. Ligamenta vaglnalla, the sheathing liga 
monts, strong fibrous bands which form sheaths for the 
flexor tendons of the Angers and toes. Ligamentum 
Botalll. See iltirttut Botalli, under ductus. -Ligamentum 
dentatutn <>r dentlculatum, a narrow serrated fibrous 
baud on each Bide of the spinal cord, separating the anterior 
from the posterior root* of the spinal nerves. Ligamen- 
tum mucoaum, a mucous ligament. Ligamentum 
nuchse.:i mass of yellow elastic nbrous tissue in the me- 
dian line of the back of the neck of many animals, as the 
Ligamentum Nuchacof the Ox (shown by the shaded part of the figure). 
ox, serving by its elasticity to assist in the support of the 
head. It is rudimentary or wanting In man, in whom it 
is represented merely by an aponeurosis. It is readily 
seen in a nock of lamb as served on the table : called by 
butchers/(tci,/fa/oa;, padcivax,paxicax, paxy waxy, whit- 
leather, etc. Ligamentum patellae, the ligament of the 
kneepan, the tendon of insertion of the great extensor 
muscles which lie upon the front of the thigh. Liga- 
mentum pectluatum iridls, the connection of the cir- 
cumference of the iris with the cornea. Ligamentum 
splrale, th<' spiral ligament of the cochlea. Ligamen- 
tum teres, the round ligament of the hip-joint. 
ligan (li'gan), . fin this form, and according 
to the defl' ( a thing tied,' etc.), < OP. as if *li- 
gain,&n assumed var. of Haiti, Hen (= Pg. Ugame, 
etc.),a band, tie,< L. ligamen,\)taid, tie: see lien 2 . 
But ligan is appar. a sophisticated form, feign- 
ing a connection with L. ligare, bind, as above, 
or with E. lie, lig, D. liggen, etc., of the older form 
lagan (formerly also logon, lagam),<. OF. lagan, 
also lagand, lagant, laguen, waifs or wreckage 
cast ashore, a seignorial right claimed to such 
wreckage ; perhaps of LG. origin, from the verb 
cognate with E. Me 1 .] In law, anything sunk in 
the sea, but tied to a support at the surface, as 
a cork or buoy, in order that it may be recovered. 
See flotsam and jetsam. 
Jetsam is where goods are cast into the sea, and there 
sink and remain under water ; flotsam Is where they con- 
tinue swimming on the surface of the waves; lignn is 
where they are sunk in the sea, but tied to a cork or buoy 
In order to be found again. Blactotont, Com., I. vili. 
ligancet, A variant of legiance, for allegiance. 
ligate (li'gat). v. t.; pret. and pp. ligated, ppr. 
ligating. [< L. ligatiis, pp. of ligare, tie, bind: 
see ligament.] To bind with a ligature; tie. 
The possibility of linaKng the ruptured artery could 
not, under the circumstances, be entertained. 
Medical Newt, UII. 78. 
ligation (li-ga'shon), n. [= OP. ligation (ver- 
nacularly liaison" F. liaison) = Sp. ligacion, li- 
<tn:i>n, < LL. ligatio(n-), a binding, < ligare, pp. 
nd- 
. bind: see ligament.} A tying or bin 
ing, or the state of being tied or bound ; con- 
striction by a ligature or bond ; especially, in 
Kiinj., the operation of tying an artery to pre- 
vent hemorrhage, as after amputation, etc. 
It is the ligation of sense, but the liberty of reason. 
Sir T. Browne, Rcligio Medici, ii. 11. 
ligator (li-ga'tor), n. [< NL. ligator, < L. Hijun: 
tie, bind: see ligament."} In surg., an instru- 
ment used to place and fasten a ligature. E. 
H. Knight. 
ligature (lig'a-tur), n. [< F. ligature = Sp. Pg. 
ligadura = It. Jigatttra, < LL. iigatura, a banu, 
< L. ligare, bind : see ligament.'] 1. Anything 
that serves for tying, binding, or uniting, as a 
cord or bandage; hence, any binding, restrain- 
ing, or uniting agency or prineiplp. 
Religion is a public virtue ; It Is the liyature of souls, 
and the great Instrument of the conservation of bodies 
politic. Jer. Taylor, Works (ed. 1885), I. 81. 
The many ligatures of our English dress check the cir- 
culation of the blood. Spectator. 
Ligatures of race and family and family affections to 
bind them together. 
Buthnett, Nature and the Supernat., vi. 
3445 
Specifically 2. In surg. : (a) A cord for ty- 
ing a blood-vessel, particularly an artery, to 
prevent hemorrhage, (b) A cord or wire to re- 
move tumors, etc., by strangulation. 3. The 
act of binding; ligation. 
Any stoppage of the circulation will produce a dropsy, 
as by strong liyature or compression. Arlmthnot, Diet, 
4f. The state of being bound or consolidated. 
Sand and gravel grounds easily admit of heat and mois- 
ture, for which they are not much the better, because 
they let it pass too soon, and contract no liyature. 
Mortimer, Husbandry. 
5t. Impotence supposed to be induced by ma- 
gic. 6. In music: (a) In medieval musical no- 
tation, one of various compound note-forms 
designed to indicate groups of two ormore tones 
which were to be sung to a single syllable 
that is, similar to a group of slurred notes in the 
modern notation. Ligatures are often difficult to de- 
cipher, on account of the doubtfulness not only of the 
pitch of the tones intended, but of their relative duration. 
(b) In modern musical notation, a tie or band; 
hence, a group of notes slurred together, in- 
tended to be sung at a single breath or to be 
played as a continuous phrase, (c) In contra- 
puntal music, a syncopation. 7. In printing 
and writing, a type or character consisting of 
or representing two or more letters or charac- 
ters united. In type-founding the ligatures fl, fl, ff, ffl, 
Ml are made on account of the kern or overhanging top of 
the letter f. Six others were formerly made with the simi- 
larly shaped long s, now disused fb, rti, (i, Ik, fl, and ft ; 
and there was also a ligatured ct (t>). A still larger num- 
ber of ligatures were used in old fonts of Greek type, all 
of which are now generally discarded. In medieval cursive 
or minuscule manuscripts, especially of Greek, ligatures 
are very numerous, and in the earlier printed editions about 
fifty such characters are of frequent occurrence. Some 
of the Qreek ligatures and of the elements composing them 
seem to have originated in tachvgraphic or shorthand 
characters. See tachygraphy. Ligature forceps. See 
forceps. 
ligature (lig'a-tur), v. t. ; pret. and pp. liga- 
tured, ppr. ligaturing. [< ligature, n.] To com- 
press or tie by means of a ligature, in any sense ; 
ligate. 
If the sino-anrlcular Junction of the heart of the turtle 
be ligatured under favorable circumstances, the action of 
the auricles and ventricle, temporarily arrested, may be 
resumed. Science, XI. 80. 
ligeancet, ligeancyt, Variants of legiance, 
for allegiance. 
ligget, A Middle English form of lie 1 . 
liggementt, An obsolete form of ledgment. 
ligger (lig'er), n. [< ME.*liggere, var. of "ligere, 
her : see tier*, and cf . lig, lie*. Hence by assibi- 
lation lidger, ledger: see kdger*.] 1. The hori- 
zontal timber of a scaffolding ; a ledger. 2. A 
nether millstone. 
The stones which composed these primitive . . . mills 
. . . were two : an upper stone or runner, and a nether, 
called In Derbyshire aligger, from the old word lig, to lie. 
Archaologia (1785), VII. 20. 
3. A plank placed across a ditch as a pathway. 
4. A coverlet for a bed. 6. A line with a 
float and bait used for catching pike. 6. A 
spent salmon; a kipper or kelt. [Prov. Eng. 
in all senses. Halliwell.'] 
light 1 (lit), a. [< ME. light, liht, lyht, -litf, < AS. 
leoht, leht, liht = OS. lioht = OFries. liacht = D. 
ligt, licht = MLG. LG. licht = OHG. lioht, MHG. 
Heht, G. licht = Goth, "liuhts (evidenced by 
its deriv. liuhtjan, shine: see light*, v.), light, 
bright ; with orig. pp. formative -th (AS. usually 
-d(E. -#*, -edt), after h usually -<),<Teut. %/ luh, 
be light, whence also ledht, n. (see light*, n.), le- 
6ma, gleam (see team 1 ), liget, legetu, lightning 
(see lait*), lig, leg, a flame (see lay s , low*), lixan, 
licsan, liexan, shine, glitter, and other Teut. 
forms; a wide-spread Indo-Eur. root: =L.i//c, 
shine, in lux (luc-), light, lucere, be light (see lu- 
cent), lucidus, light, clear (see lucid), lumen, light 
(see lume, loom*, luminous, illumine, etc.), luna, 
the moon (see luna, lunar, etc.); = Gr. T/ f.m, 
shine, in fetnuic, light, bright, white (see Icitcou.v, 
and words in leuco-), favoottv, see, i>ii$it.vai, twi- 
light; cf. Ir. loche, lightning, Ion, gleam, Gael. 
leus, light, 16, Id, daylight, lochran, a light, 
lamp, W. llug, light; OBulg. lucha, beam of 
light, luna, the moon; = Skt. if ruch, shine. 
Hence light*, v., lighten*, enlighten, etc.; but 
light*, n., is of different terminal formation : see 
light*, .] 1. Bright; clear; not dark or ob- 
scure : as, it begins to be //;//' ' (said of the morn- 
ing); a light apartment. 
Even the night shall be light about me. Pa, cxxxlx. 11. 
O, now be gone : more liyht and li'jht It grows. 
SAa*.,rt andJ., ill. 5. Si. 
2. Pale or whitish in color; applied to colors, 
highly luminous and more or less deficient in 
chroma: as, a light complexion; a light pink. 
light 
The boy wa.M-7W-eyd and Wj-halred that the . . . 
rays appeared to draw onto* Mm whrttMUa colour h*mr 
I-. -.- I DtrihrM, Hard Times, L 1. 
Sweet-hearted, you, whose (igAMilue eye* 
Are tender over drowning flics. 
Tennytun, In Uemorlam, xcvl. 
Light green, light green 8. Same uacid-grem.- Light 
meat. See meat. 
light 1 (lit), '. ; pret. and pp. lighted (less prop- 
erly lit), ppr. lighting. [< ME. lighten, lichten, 
lihten, lyhti-n, ligtcn, < AS. lyhtan, lihtan, ledhtan, 
shine, lighten (also in comp. dlihtan, inlihtan, 
onlihtan, gelihtan, merged in obs. E. alight*, 
r., light, illuminate) (= OS. liohtian, liuhtian, 
OFries. lirlilo, ligta = 1). lichten = MLG. Uckten, 
lechten, LG. lichten = OHG. MHG. liuhten, Q. 
leuchten = Goth, liuhtjan, bo light, be bright, 
shine), < Imlit, light, bright: see light*, a.~\ I. 
in trims. 1. To become light or bright ; exhibit 
a bright or luminous effect ; shine, as from in- 
ternal or reflected light : as, her face lighted up 
with joy; the picture lights up well. 
But, natheles, It was so fair a syghto 
That It made alle her hcrtes for to lyghtf. 
Chaucer, Squire's Tale, L 888. 
And that shall be the day, whene'er It Ughtt, 
That this same child of honour and renown . . . 
And your unthought-of Harry chance to meet. 
Shale., 1 Hen. IV., ill. 2. 138. 
2. To catch fire; kindle, as something to which 
fire is applied. 
II. trans. 1. To make light; give light to, or 
shed light upon, literally or figuratively; pro- 
vide with light; illuminate; irradiate: as, to 
//.<//'/ an apartment ; a smile lighted up his coun- 
tenance. 
And after that hire lokynge gan she lyghte 
That never thoughte hym seen so goode a slghte. 
Chaucer, Troilus, I. 293. 
And all our yesterdays have lighted fools 
The way to dusty death. Shot., Macbeth, v. 5. 22. 
That one great eye [In the Pantheon] opening upon 
heaven is by far the noblest conception for lighting a 
building to be found in Europe. 
J. Fergumon, Hist. Arch., I. 311. 
From the Intense, clear, star-sown vault of heaven, 
Over the lit sea's unquiet way. 
M. Arnold, Self dependence. 
2. To kindle; ignite; cause to burn, either 
literally or figuratively: as, to light a fire or a 
match; to ligntthe torch of rebellion. 
Whome we folowyd to all the holy placys with In the 
same Monasteri, with candels li<jht [lit or lighted] In ower 
handys. Torlnngton, Dlarlc of Eng. Travel], p. 48. 
With better flames than these, which only be 
Lighted to plunge in Darkness you and me. 
J. Beaumont, Psyche, II. 114. 
light 1 (lit), B. [< ME. light, licht, ligt, liht, < AS. 
leoht = OS. lioht = OFries. liacht = D. licht = 
MLG. LG. licht = OHG. lioht, MHG. lieht, G. 
licht = Goth, linhath (liuhad-), light; with orig. 
noun-formative -ath,-th (the Scand. forms, Icel. 
Ijos = Sw. ljus = Dan. lytt, having a diff. forma- 
tive -s), from the Teut. y luh, be light : see 
light*, a. The noun light is thus of diff. forma- 
tion from the adj. light, though from the same 
root.] 1. That which makes things visible; 
in physics, that form of energy which, acting 
upon the organs of sight, renders visible the 
objects from which it proceeds. The now aban- 
doned emission or corpuscular theory, which was advocated 
by Newton, represented light as consisting of minute mate- 
rial particles emitted by the luminous body and traveling 
through space in all directions from It, with immense ve- 
locity; the sensation of sight being due to the action of 
these particles upon the eye. According to the undula- 
tory theory, which is now generally accepted, light Is a kind 
of undulatory motion produced by the luminous body In 
Is propagated In waves (see ti-ace) in all directions from 
the luminous body, and with a velocity In a vacuum of 
about 186,000 miles per second. The rays sent out or ra- 
diated in straight lines from the luminous body differ in 
wave-length, although apparently propagated with the 
same velocity ; the eye Is sensitive to those only whose 
wave-lengths are Included between certain narrow limits, 
namely, those corresponding to red and violet light (see 
spectrum). Light Is, then, a part of the kind of energy 
called radiant energy (see radiant energy, under energy, 
and radiation). The electron a imttic theory of light, pro- 
l,vd by M:ixwrll. nppOMillfU i..r man ftatHOf, r:i 
diant energy) to be an electromagnetic disturbance prop- 
agated by vibrations at right angles to the direction of 
the ray. and taking place in the same ether the strains or 
vibrations of which serve to propagate electromagnetic 
induction. In confirmation of this theory, It is fonnd that 
the experimentally determined velocities of the propaga- 
tion of light and of electromagnetic Induction are nearly 
the same. The principal phenomena of light are grouped 
under the following heads : 0) Absorption, or the trans- 
formation of the vibration of the ether Into the molecular 
vibrations of the body upon whirh the light falls or through 
which It passes. The effect of the absorption of part of 
the light-rays by a body is to give it color : thus, grass 
Is green because it sends back to the eye only the rays 
which together produce the effect of green, the other rays 
