Knot tried first, that is (3)
I believe the answer is:
tie
'knot' is the definition.
(I know that knot is a kind of bind)
'tried first that is' is the wordplay.
'tried first' becomes 't' (1st letter of 'tried').
'that is' becomes 'ie' (short for Latin 'id est', 'that is').
't'+'ie'='TIE'
(Other definitions for tie that I've seen before include "Knot; link" , "Bind; dead heat" , "Accessory" , "line above notes" , "Neckwear item" .)