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. , "ligius homo quod Teutonice 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. OldLaw
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.]
© Webster 1913.
Liege (?), 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.
© Webster 1913.