liege

LIEGE, adjective [Latin ligo, to bind; Gr. to bind, to bend; a withe.] 1. Bound by a feudal tenure; obliged to be faithful and loyal to a superior, as a vassal to his lord; subject; faithful; as a liege man. By liege homage, a vassal was bound to serve his lord against all, without excepting his sovereign; or against all, excepting a former lord to whom he owed like service. 2. Sovereign; as a liege lord. [See the noun.] LIEGE, noun [supra.] 1. A vassal holding a fee by which he is bound to perform certain services and duties to his lord. 2. A lord or superior; a sovereign. [Note. This is a false application of the word, arising probably from transferring the word from the vassal to the lord; the lord of liege men, being called liege lord.