What is a tying joint?

[WoodenNickel]

I'm trying to learn about timber framing and I've seen lots of references to tying joints - but no clear example or definition.  Does somebody have one?  Or is it just a joint that ties things together?

[Jim_Rogers]

Basically yes. We use a tying joint to hold the bents together in the middle of the floor system. So it is on the end of a joist and it is called a tying joist.
Sometime they are in between sills to hold the sills from spreading.

Jim Rogers

[Roger Nair]

WN, I would broadly define a tying joint as a joint under tension, which can show up in different cases such as lower truss chords, truss king and queen posts, ceiling joist, some collar ties, hammer beams, cables (you can't push on a rope), scarfs and some braces.  The cases are at different magnitudes and approaches.