δεσμός

English (LSJ)

ὁ, pl.

   A δεσμά h.Merc.157, al., Thgn.459, Hdt.6.91, and so mostly in Trag., A.Pr.513, etc., and Pl.Euthphr.9a; but δεσμοί A.Pr. 525, E.Ba.518,634, usu. in Pl., as Lg.793b, al.: both forms in Att. Inscrr., δεσμοί IG2.678B48, δεσμά ib.791.31, the latter preferred by Thom. Mag.p.79R. (sg. δεσμόν SIG246 ii 36 (Delph.), Att. acc. to Hsch.): (δέω A):—band, bond, anything for tying and fastening, as halter, Il.6.507; mooring-cable, Od.13.100, etc.; door-latch, 21.241; yoke-strap, X.An.3.5.10: metaph., any bond of union or connexion, Pl.Ti.31c, etc.; of the vowels, Id.Sph.253a; δεσμοὶ πολιτείας, of the laws, Id.Lg.793b; εἰς τὰ δεσμοῦ for binding material, PTeb.120.70 (i B. C.).    2 in pl. (never δεσμά in this sense), bonds, chains, ἐκ δεσμῶν λυθῆναι A.Pr.509, 770; πρὶν ἂν ἐξ ἀγρίων δ. χαλάσῃ ib.177; ἐν δεσμοῖσι S.Fr.63; εἰς δεσμοὺς ἄγειν E.Ba.518; δεσμοῖς Th.7.82; ὁ ἐπὶ τῶν δ., = δεσμοφύλαξ, Luc. Tox.29: in sg., collectively, bonds, imprisonment, δ. ἀχλυόεις Epigr. ap. Hdt.5.77 ( = IG12.394); οὐδὲν ἄξιον δεσμοῦ Hdt.3.145; ἐν. δ. S.Ant.958; ἐν δημοσίῳ δ. δεθείς Pl.Lg.864e; ἔδησεν ἑαυτὸν τιμησάμενος δεσμοῦ Lys.6.21: metaph. of moral bondage, Porph.Abst.1.38, al.    3 ligature, Arist.HA 495b13, al.    4 δ. ἄρθρου in Hp.Fract.37 is expld. by Gal. adloc. as ankylosis.    5 spell, charm, Iamb.Myst.3.27.    II = δέσμη, Pap. in Philol.80.341, Poll.2.135, Eust.862.27; ἀσπαράγου δ. BGU1120.14 (i B. C.); δ. ἀργυρίου LXX Ge.42.27; cf. δέσις 111.