See Also: liege(medicine)
liege(dictionary)
Liege(encyclopedia)
liege(dictionary)
Liege(tourism)
Liege hotels(tourism)
Liege flights(tourism)
Liege car rental(tourism)
Liege airports(tourism)
Liege doctors(health)

liege (iou)



liege adjective, noun, & verb. ME.
[Old & mod. French lige (Old French also liege) from medieval Latin leticus, laeticus from letus, litus, prob. from Germanic.]
A. adjective.
a. Hist. Of a superior: entitled to feudal allegiance and service (now rare exc. in liege lord below). Of a vassal: bound to give feudal service and allegiance (cf. LIEGEMAN). ME.
liege lord a feudal superior, a sovereign.
b. Loyal, faithful. rare. L15.
Hist. Of or pertaining to the bond between feudal superior and vassal. LME.
b. noun.
Hist. The superior to whom a vassal owes feudal allegiance and service; a liege lord. LME.
Browning My liege, do not believe it! I am yours.
A vassal who owes feudal allegiance and service to a superior, a liegeman (Hist.); transf. a loyal subject of a sovereign. Usu. in pl. LME.
Sir W. Scott Her Majesty, being detained by her gracious desire to receive the homage of her lieges. J. Tey The Chief Constable..sent a request to the Home Office for troops to protect the lieges.
C. verb trans.
Give (homage etc.) as a liegeman. Only in L17.
Foll. by it: rule over like a liege lord. rare. M19.
liegedom noun the condition of being a liege E19.
liegeless adjective (rare) (a) not subject to a superior; free; (b) disregardful of obligations to a superior: E19.