δεσμός

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 IG 2.678, δεσμά ib.791.31, the latter preferred by Thom. Mag.p.79R. (sg. δεσμόν SIG 246 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 ( = IG 12.394); 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. BGU 1120.14 (i B. C.); δ. ἀργυρίου LXX Ge. 42.27; cf. δέσις 111.