Crossword Dictionary

What's The Definition Of Liege?

\Liege\ (l[=e]j), a. [OE. lige, lege, F. lige, LL. ligius, legius, liege, unlimited, complete, prob. of German origin; cf. G. ledig free from bonds and obstacles, MHG. ledec, ledic, lidic, freed, loosed, and Charta Ottonis de Benthem, ann. 1253, ``ligius homo quod Teutonic[`e] dicitur ledigman,'' i. e., uni soli homagio obligatus, free from all obligations to others; influenced by L. ligare to bind. G. ledig perh. orig. meant, free to go where one pleases, and is perh. akin to E. lead to conduct. Cf. {Lead} to guide.] 1. Sovereign; independent; having authority or right to allegiance; as, a liege lord. --Chaucer. She looked as grand as doomsday and as grave; And he, he reverenced his liege lady there. --Tennyson. 2. Serving an independent sovereign or master; bound by a feudal tenure; obliged to be faithful and loyal to a superior, as a vassal to his lord; faithful; loyal; as, a liege man; a liege subject. 3. (Old Law) Full; perfect; complete; pure. --Burrill. {Liege homage} (Feudal Custom), that homage of one sovereign or prince to another which acknowledged an obligation of fealty and services. {Liege poustie} [L. legitima potestas] (Scots Law), perfect, i. e., legal, power; specif., having health requisite to do legal acts. {Liege widowhood}, perfect, i. e., pure, widowhood. [Obs.]
\Liege\ (l[=e]j), n. 1. A free and independent person; specif., a lord paramount; a sovereign. --Mrs. Browning. The anointed sovereign of sighs and groans, Liege of all loiterers and malcontents. --Shak. 2. The subject of a sovereign or lord; a liegeman. A liege lord seems to have been a lord of a free band; and his lieges, though serving under him, were privileged men, free from all other obligations, their name being due to their freedom, not to their service. --Skeat.