be tied up Mrs Bennett had been tied up and left in the back of a van.
tie tai / [v T] to prevent someone from escaping by tying them with rope etc tic sb to sth The terrorists tied the hostages to their chairs. I Her horse was tied to a tree.
tie sb's hands//eet together The kidnap pers had tied his hands together and blindfolded him.
tying - tied - have tied
A Don't say 'they tied him'. Say they tied him up, they tied him to the chair
etc
to remove string or rope from something
undo /An'du:, ju T] to remove the string or rope from something so that it is no longer held together: / can't undo the string! I She undid the ribbon and let her hair fall over her shoulders. undoing - undid - have undone
untie /An'tai; [u Tj to remove or unfasten
the string or rope that joins one thing to another: Someone had untied the boat and it floated away. I It was several hours before anyone found me and untied me.
untying - untied - have untied
TIGHT
opposite loose
tight clothes
tight /tart/ [adj] tight clothes or shoes are only just big enough for you to wear, and they are often uncomfortable: This s/cirt is far too tight. I tight shoes
skintight ,skin'tait«/ \adj] skintight
clothes are very tight and fit exactly to the shape of your body, especially in a way that looks sexually attractive: skintight jeans
pulled or stretched tight
tight tail [adj] rope, wire, cloth etc that is tight has been pulled or stretched as far as possible so that it is straight or it cannot move: If the straps aren't tight enough, the saddle might slip. I Driue forward slowly until the towing rope is tight.
taut ,;to:t [adj] written stretched very tight - use this with these words: rope/string/ skin/muscles The skin of her face felt dry and taut. I Rambo crouched, his muscles taut and ready for action.
fastened tight
tight /tait; [adjl a screw, lid, cover etc that is tight has been firmly fixed and is difficult to move: Check that the screws are tight. I The lid's really tight.I can't open it.
firmly tVnili \adv] if something is firmly closed or fixed, it has been closed or fixed so that it cannot move. Make sure that you put the cork back /irmly in the bottle. 1 The posts must be fixed firmly in the ground.
В
Securely /sikjoali [adv] if something is securely fastened or fixed, it has been carefully fastened or fixed so that it will not move or open, in order to prevent accidents: W/e made sure that our bags were severely fastened to the roof of the car.
to make something tight
tighten taitn [и T] to make something tight, either by fastening it firmly so that it cannot move, or by pulling it until it is tight tighten a screw/bolt (-by turning it) Tighten the screws gradually until the wheel is firmly in place. tighten a rope/belt/string etc You can tighten your seat belt by pulling it at this end.
pull sth tight ;iPU| (sth) 'tart/ to pull a string, rope etc hard, so that it becomes
tight: Brian wrapped some string around the package and pulled it tight. I Pull the laces tight and tie them firmly.
Stretch stretj [v T] to pull a piece of rope, cloth, rubber etc so that it becomes tight, making it slightly longer than it normally is: Stretching the cord to its fullest extent, she carried the phone to the other end of the room. stretch sth over/between etc First, stretch the canvas over the frame.
TIME
^ if you mean 'spend time', go to
spend 6
time that can be measured in hours, days etc
time /taim/ [n U] what we measure in hours, days, years etc: How much time do we have for the test? spend time (=use your time doing something) I'd like to spend more time with my family.
time goes by/passes The time passed very slowly when I was in prison. I As time went by, things started to improve.
a time when something happens
time /taim/ [n C] a specific time when something happens or someone does something: It's my favourite film - I've seen it five times.
+ (that) It was the only time I saw her lose her temper.
time when Do you remember the time when Dad lost the car keys? every/each time Every time I meet her she asks me about the children. next/last/this time Gife us a call next time you're in town. I Last lime I saw him he was driving a Porsche. I We'll do the test again, and this time you can use a calculator.
the first/second/third time Is this the first time you've played pool?
occasion /3'keivn/ [n CI formal a time when something happens on an occasion Hamilton visited Paris twice that year and on both occasions he stayed at the Ritz. I She had met Zahid on a previous occasion.
moment/point /тэотэт, point/ [n C]
an exact time when something happens, during a longer process or series of events: The play went well, apart from one embarrassing moment when I dropped my cup. I At several points during the meeting. Adler threatened to walk out.
at this point/at that moment etc At that moment there was a knock on the door. 1 At this point the surgeon realized that things were going wrong.