*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. 1253, “ligius homo quod Teutonicè 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. [ 1913 Webster ]

She looked as grand as doomsday and as grave;
And he, he reverenced his liege lady there. Tennyson. [ 1913 Webster ]

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. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. (Old Law) Full; perfect; complete; pure. Burrill. [ 1913 Webster ]

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. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. A free and independent person; specif., a lord paramount; a sovereign. Mrs. Browning. [ 1913 Webster ]

The anointed sovereign of sighs and groans,
Liege of all loiterers and malcontents. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. The subject of a sovereign or lord; a liegeman. [ 1913 Webster ]

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. [ 1913 Webster ]

n.; pl. Liegemen Same as Liege, n., 2. Chaucer. Spenser. [ 1913 Webster ]