Ligature (noun)

1. A band or cord used to bind a part of the body, especially to stop bleeding or to immobilize a broken bone.
2. A symbol or character that is written or printed as a single unit, such as æ or ß.

Origin:

From latin ligatura "binding, tying".

Examples:

1. The surgeons used a ligature to tie off the bleeding artery.
2. A ligature is often used to immobilize a broken bone until it has healed.
3. In music notation, a ligature is a symbol connecting two or more notes, indicating that they are to be played as a single unit.
4. In typography, a ligature is a combination of two or more letters that are written or printed as a single unit.
5. The ligature æ is used in some languages to represent a specific sound.