atar

v.

1 to tie (unir) (nudo, cuerda).

atar cabos (figurative) to put two and two together

El chico ató sus zapatos solito The boy tied his shoes all by himself.

2 to tie up (con cuerdas) (persona caballo, barco).

lo ataron de pies y manos they tied his hands and feet

esa cláusula nos ata las manos our hands are tied by that clause

atar corto a alguien (figurative) to keep a tight rein on somebody

3 to tie down.

su trabajo le ata mucho her work takes up a lot of her time

4 to link, to bind together.

El juez ató la evidencia y falló The judge linked the evidence and ruled.

* * *

atar

► verbo transitivo

1 to tie

■ le ataron las manos con una cuerda they tied her hands with a rope

■ se ató el pelo she tied her hair back

2 figurado to tie down

■ un negocio ata mucho a business really ties you down

\

FRASEOLOGÍA

atar cabos figurado to put two and two together

atar corto a alguien to keep somebody on a tight rein

* * *

verb

to tie, tie up

* * *

1. VT

1) (=amarrar) to tie, tie up; [+ cautivo] to bind, tie up; (=abrochar) to fasten; [+ animal] to tether; [+ gavilla] to bind

zapatos de atar — lace-up shoes

está de atar — he's raving mad

- dejar algo atado y bien atado

2) (=impedir el movimiento a) to stop, paralyze

- atar corto a algn

- atar la lengua a algn

- atar las manos a algn

- verse atado de pies y manos

2.

VI

ni ata ni desata — this is getting us nowhere

3.

See:

atarse

* * *

1.

verbo transitivo

1)

a) <caja/planta> to tie

le até el pelo con una cinta — I tied her hair back with a ribbon

con un pañuelo atado al cuello — with a scarf (tied) round his neck

b) <persona/caballo> to tie ... up; <cabra> to tether

lo ataron de pies y manos — they bound him hand and foot; ver tb pie I 1) b)

ató al perro a una farola — she tied the dog to a lamppost

2) trabajo/hijos to tie ... down

no hay nada que me ate a esta ciudad — there's nothing to keep me in this town

atar corto a alguien — to keep somebody on a tight rein

2.

atar vi trabajo/hijos

es un trabajo que ata mucho — it's a job that really ties you down

ni ata ni desata — (es inútil) he's useless; (no tiene autoridad) he has no say o authority

3.

atarse v pron (refl) <zapatos/cordones> to tie up, do up; <pelo> to tie up

* * *

= tether, strap, tie up, lash.

Ex. The book reached the limits of its potential as an information carrier long ago and libraries unfortunately allowed themselves to become tethered by those limitations.

Ex. Microfilm is said to have been invented during the Franco-Prussian War, to send reduced diagrams of troop positions by strapping these to the legs of carrier pigeons.

Ex. Short wedges, or quoins, were then put in between the long wedges and the inside of the chase, loosely at first so that the string with which the pages were tied up could be unwound and removed.

Ex. Gather the eight garden stakes together teepee-style around the center stake and lash them in place securely with garden wire.

----

* atar a = tie (to), lash (up) to.

* atar con cadenas = chain.

* atar de pies y manos = hogtie.

* atar los cabos sueltos = tie up + all the loose ends.

* loco de atar = stark raving mad, raving mad, raving lunatic, stir-crazy.

* volver a atar = re-tie.

* * *

1.

verbo transitivo

1)

a) <caja/planta> to tie

le até el pelo con una cinta — I tied her hair back with a ribbon

con un pañuelo atado al cuello — with a scarf (tied) round his neck

b) <persona/caballo> to tie ... up; <cabra> to tether

lo ataron de pies y manos — they bound him hand and foot; ver tb pie I 1) b)

ató al perro a una farola — she tied the dog to a lamppost

2) trabajo/hijos to tie ... down

no hay nada que me ate a esta ciudad — there's nothing to keep me in this town

atar corto a alguien — to keep somebody on a tight rein

2.

atar vi trabajo/hijos

es un trabajo que ata mucho — it's a job that really ties you down

ni ata ni desata — (es inútil) he's useless; (no tiene autoridad) he has no say o authority

3.

atarse v pron (refl) <zapatos/cordones> to tie up, do up; <pelo> to tie up

* * *

= tether, strap, tie up, lash.

Ex: The book reached the limits of its potential as an information carrier long ago and libraries unfortunately allowed themselves to become tethered by those limitations.

Ex: Microfilm is said to have been invented during the Franco-Prussian War, to send reduced diagrams of troop positions by strapping these to the legs of carrier pigeons.

Ex: Short wedges, or quoins, were then put in between the long wedges and the inside of the chase, loosely at first so that the string with which the pages were tied up could be unwound and removed.

Ex: Gather the eight garden stakes together teepee-style around the center stake and lash them in place securely with garden wire.

* atar a = tie (to), lash (up) to.

* atar con cadenas = chain.

* atar de pies y manos = hogtie.

* atar los cabos sueltos = tie up + all the loose ends.

* loco de atar = stark raving mad, raving mad, raving lunatic, stir-crazy.

* volver a atar = re-tie.

* * *

atar [A1 ]

vt

A

1 ‹caja/paquete› to tie; ‹planta› to tie

le até el pelo con una cinta I tied her hair back with a ribbon

ató la carne antes de meterla en el horno he tied string around the meat before putting it in the oven

llevaba un pañuelo atado al cuello he was wearing a neckerchief, he was wearing a scarf (tied) round his neck

2 ‹persona› to tie … up; ‹caballo› to tie … up, tether; ‹cabra› to tether

lo ataron a una silla they tied him to a chair

lo ataron de pies y manos they bound him hand and foot

ver tb pie¹ m A 2. (↑ pie (1))

le ataron las manos they tied his hands together

ató al perro a una farola she tied the dog to a lamppost

B «trabajo/hijos» to tie … down

no hay nada que me ate a esta ciudad there's nothing to keep me in this town

me hizo una promesa y eso la ata she made me a promise and that promise is binding

atar corto a algn to keep sb on a tight rein o (AmE) leash

■ atar

vi

«trabajo/hijos»: los hijos atan mucho children really tie you down, children are a real tie

es un trabajo que ata mucho it's a job that really ties you down

ni ata ni desata (es inútil) he's useless; (no tiene autoridad) he has no say or authority

■ atarse

v pron

(refl) ‹zapatos/cordones› to tie up, do up; ‹pelo› to tie up

átate los zapatos or los cordones do up your shoelaces!, tie your shoelaces up!

* * *

 

atar (conjugate atar) verbo transitivo
1

a) ‹caja/paquete› to tie;

◊ le até el pelo con una cinta I tied her hair back with a ribbon

b) ‹persona/caballo› to tie … up;

‹cabra› to tether;

◊ lo ataron de pies y manos they bound him hand and foot;

ató al perro a un poste she tied the dog to a lamppost
2 [trabajo/hijos] to tie … down
atarse verbo pronominal (refl) ‹zapatos/cordones› to tie up, do up;
‹pelo› to tie up
atar verbo transitivo
1 to tie
2 fig (restar libertad, generar obligaciones) to tie down
♦ Locuciones: figurado estar loco de atar, to be as mad as a hatter
atar cabos, put two and two together
atar corto, to put on a short leash
'atar' also found in these entries:
Spanish:
abrochar
- acordonar
- amarrar
- cabo
- estacar
- ligadura
- perra
- perro
- trincar
- liar
- ligar
English:
attach
- bind
- bundle
- do up
- fasten
- hitch
- lash
- raving
- rope
- stark
- strap
- strap on
- tether
- tie
- tie down
- tie on
- tie together
- tie up
- two
- truss

* * *

atar

♦ vt

1. [unir] [nudo, cuerda] to tie;

ata la cuerda firmemente tie the rope securely;

Comp

atar cabos to put two and two together;

Comp

atar los cabos sueltos to tie up all the loose ends;

Comp

dejar todo atado y bien atado to make sure everything is settled

2. [con cuerdas] [persona] to tie up;

[caballo] to tether;

lo ataron de pies y manos they tied his hands and feet;

ató el caballo a la verja she tethered the horse to the gate;

Comp

tengo las manos atadas, estoy atado de pies y manos my hands are tied;

esa cláusula nos ata las manos our hands are tied by that clause

3. [constreñir] to tie down;

su trabajo la ata mucho her work ties her down a lot;

no me siento atado a nadie I don't feel tied to anybody;

Comp

atar corto a alguien to keep sb on a tight rein

♦ vi

un bebé ata mucho having a baby ties you down a lot

♦ See also the pronominal verb atarse

* * *

atar

v/t

1 tie (up);

atar a alguien de pies y manos tie s.o.’s hands and feet, truss s.o. up;

loco de atar mad as a hatter

2 fig

tie down;

los niños atan mucho kids really tie you down;

atar corto a alguien fig keep s.o. on a tight leash

* * *

atar vt

amarrar: to tie, to tie up, to tie down

♦ See also the reflexive verb atarse

* * *

atar vb to tie / to bind [pt. & pp. bound]

ató el caballo a un poste he tied the horse to a post

se ató el pelo she tied her hair back

atar cabos to put two and two together