\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.
         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. (Old Law) 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.]

\Liege\ (l[=e]j), 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.