n. 1. A lord or sovereign to whom allegiance and service are due according to feudal law. 2. A vassal or subject owing allegiance and services to a lord or sovereign under feudal law. 3. A loyal subject to a monarch. adj. 1. a. Entitled to the loyalty and services of vassals or subjects: a liege lord. b. Bound to give such allegiance and services to a lord or monarch. 2. Loyal; faithful. [Middle English, from Old French, entitled to feudal allegiance, from Late Latin laeticus, being a semifree colonist in Gaul, from laetus, a semifree colonist, of Germanic origin; see lē- in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.] |
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.