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The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 (gcide)

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.
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She looked as grand as doomsday and as grave;
And he, he reverenced his liege lady there.
--Tennyson.
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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.
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3. (Old Law) Full; perfect; complete; pure. --Burrill.
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{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.]
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Liege \Liege\ (l[=e]j), n.
1. A free and independent person; specif., a lord paramount;
a sovereign. --Mrs. Browning.
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The anointed sovereign of sighs and groans,
Liege of all loiterers and malcontents. --Shak.
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2. The subject of a sovereign or lord; a liegeman.
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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.
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