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.
Liege"man (-man), n.; pl. Liegemen (-men). Same as Liege, n., 2.
Chaucer. Spenser.
Lie"ger (l"jr), n. [See Leger, Ledger.] A resident ambassador. [Obs.]
See Leger. Denham.
Lie"gian*cy (l"jan*s), n. See Ligeance.
Li"en (l"n), obs. p. p. of Lie. See Lain. Ps. lxviii. 13.
Lien (ln or l"n; 277), n. [F. lien band, bond, tie, fr. L. ligamen, fr.
ligare to bind. Cf. League a union, Leam a string, Leamer, Ligament.]
(Law) A legal claim; a charge upon real or personal property for the
satisfaction of some debt or duty; a right in one to control or hold
and retain the property of another until some claim of the former is
paid or satisfied.
Li*e"nal (l*"nal), a. [L. lien the spleen.] (Anat.) Of or pertaining to
the spleen; splenic.
||Li*en"cu*lus (l*"k*ls), n.; pl. Lienculi (- l). [NL., dim. of L. lien
||the spleen.] (Anat.) One of the small nodules sometimes found in the
||neighborhood of the spleen; an accessory or supplementary spleen.
||
Li*e`no-in*tes"ti*nal (l*`n- n*ts"t*nal), a. [L. lien the spleen + E.
intestinal.] (Anat.) Of or pertaining to the spleen and intestine; as,
the lieno- intestinal vein of the frog.
Li`en*ter"ic (l`n*tr"k), a. [L. lientericus, Gr. leienteriko`s: cf. F.
lientérique. See Lientery.] (Med.) Of or pertaining to, or of the
nature of, a lientery. -- n. (Med.) A lientery. Grew.
Li"en*ter*y (l"n*tr*), n. [Gr. leienteri`a; lei^os smooth, soft +
'e`nteron an intestine: cf. F. lientérie.] (Med.) A diarrhea, in which
the food is discharged imperfectly digested, or with but little change.
Dunglison.
Li"er (l"r), n. [From Lie. ] One who lies down; one who rests or
remains, as in concealment.
There were liers in ambush against him.
Josh. viii. 14.
Lierne" rib` (lyârn" rb`). [F. lierne.] (Arch.) In Gothic vaulting, any
rib which does not spring from the impost and is not a ridge rib, but
passes from one boss or intersection of the principal ribs to another.
Lieu (l), n. [F., OF. also liu, leu, lou, fr. L. locus place. See
Local, Locus.] Place; room; stead; -- used only in the phrase in lieu
of, that is, instead of.
The plan of extortion had been adopted in lieu of the scheme of
confiscation.
Burke.
Lieu*ten"an*cy (l*tn"an*s; 277), n. 1. The office, rank, or commission,
of a lieutenant.