liege

• POS: Adjective, Noun

CIDE DICTIONARY

liege, 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 Teutonicè 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.].

•  Sovereign; independent; having authority or right to allegiance; as, a liege lord.  Chaucer.  [1913 Webster]

  "She looked as grand as doomsday and as grave;
  And he, he reverenced his liege lady there."  [1913 Webster]
•  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.  [1913 Webster]
•  Full; perfect; complete; pure.  [1913 Webster]

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, n. 

•  A free and independent person; specif., a lord paramount; a sovereign.  [1913 Webster]

  "The anointed sovereign of sighs and groans,
  Liege of all loiterers and malcontents."  [1913 Webster]
•  The subject of a sovereign or lord; a liegeman.  [1913 Webster]

  "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."  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

liege, adj. & n. usu. hist.
--adj. (of a superior) entitled to receive or (of a vassal) bound to give feudal service or allegiance.
--n.
1 (in full liege lord) a feudal superior or sovereign.
2 (usu. in pl.) a vassal or subject.

Etymology

ME f. OF lige, liege f. med.L laeticus, prob. f. Gmc

THESAURUS

liege

ardent, bondmaid, bondman, bondslave, bondsman, bondswoman, boss, bwana, captive, chattel, chattel slave, chef, chief, church dignitary, churl, client, concubine, constant, creature, debt slave, dependent, ecclesiarch, elder, employer, feudal, feudatory, flunky, follower, galley slave, goodman, guru, hanger-on, helot, homager, husband, inferior, lackey, liege lord, liege man, liege subject, lord, lord paramount, loyal, master, minion, myrmidon, odalisque, overlord, padrone, paramount, paterfamilias, patriarch, patron, peon, rabbi, resolute, retainer, sahib, seigneur, seignior, serf, servant, servile, slave, starets, staunch, steadfast, stooge, subject, subordinate, subservient, teacher, theow, thrall, tributary, true, underling, understrapper, vassal, villein, yeoman

ROGET THESAURUS

liege

Master

N master, padrone, lord, lord paramount, commander, commandant, captain, chief, chieftain, sirdar, sachem, sheik, head, senior, governor, ruler, dictator, leader, boss, cockarouse, sagamore, werowance, lord of the ascendant, cock of the walk, cock of the roost, gray mare, mistress, potentate, liege, liege lord, suzerain, sovereign, monarch, autocrat, despot, tyrant, oligarch, crowned head, emperor, king, anointed king, majesty, imperator, protector, president, stadholder, judge, ceasar, kaiser, czar, tsar, sultan, soldan, grand Turk, caliph, imaum, shah, padishah, sophi, mogul, great mogul, khan, lama, tycoon, mikado, tenno, inca, cazique, voivode, landamman, seyyid, Abuna, cacique, czarowitz, grand seignior, prince, duke, archduke, doge, elector, seignior, marland, margrave, rajah, emir, wali, sheik nizam, nawab, empress, queen, sultana, czarina, princess, infanta, duchess, margravine, czarevna, czarita, maharani, rani, rectrix, regent, viceroy, exarch, palatine, khedive, hospodar, beglerbeg, three-tailed bashaw, pasha, bashaw, bey, beg, dey, scherif, tetrarch, satrap, mandarin, subahdar, nabob, maharajah, burgrave, laird, collector, commissioner, deputy commissioner, woon, the authorities, the powers that be, the government, staff, etat major, aga, official, man in office, person in authority, sircar, sirkar, Sublime Porte, marshal, field marshal, marechal, general, generalissimo, commander in chief, seraskier, hetman, lieutenant general, major general, colonel, lieutenant colonel, major, captain, centurion, skipper, lieutenant, first lieutenant, second lieutenant, sublieutenant, officer, staff officer, aide-de-camp, brigadier, brigade major, adjutant, jemidar, ensign, cornet, cadet, subaltern, noncommissioned officer, warrant officer, sergeant, sergeant major, color sergeant, corporal, corporal major, lance corporal, acting corporal, drum major, captain general, dizdar, knight marshal, naik, pendragon, mayor, mayoralty, prefect, chancellor, archon, provost, magistrate, syndic, alcalde, alcaid, burgomaster, corregidor, seneschal, alderman, councilman, committeeman, councilwoman, warden, constable, portreeve, lord mayor, officer, dewan, fonctionnaire, admiral, admiralty, rear admiral, vice admiral, port admiral, commodore, captain, commander, lieutenant, ensign, skipper, mate, master, officer of the day, OD, navarch, da locum melioribus, der Furst ist der erste Diener seines Staats, the prince is the first servant of his state, lord of thy presence and no land beside.