Lieg"ance (l"jans), n. Same as Ligeance.
Liege (lj), 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.
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.