Adjacent Words

Livery definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

LIV'ERY, n.
1. The act of delivering possession of lands or tenements; a term of English law. It is usual to say, livery of seisin, which is feudal investiture, made by the delivery of a turf, of a rod or twig, from the feoffor to the feoffee. In America, no such ceremony is necessary to a conveyance of real estate, the delivery of a deed being sufficient.
2. Release from wardship; deliverance.
3. The writ by which possession os obtained.
4. The state of being kept at a certain rate; as, to keep horses at livery.
5. A form of dress by which noblemen and gentlemen distinguish their servants. The Romish church has also liveries for confessors, virgins, apostles, martyrs, penitents, etc. Hence,
6. A particular dress or garb, appropriate or peculiar to particular times or things; as the livery of May; the livery of autumn.
Now came still evening on, and twilight gray had in her sober livery all things clad.
7. The whole body of liverymen in London.
LIV'ERY, v.t. To clothe in livery.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

adj
1: suffering from or suggesting a liver disorder or gastric distress [syn: bilious, liverish, livery] n
1: uniform worn by some menservants and chauffeurs
2: the voluntary transfer of something (title or possession) from one party to another [syn: delivery, livery, legal transfer]
3: the care (feeding and stabling) of horses for pay

Merriam Webster's

I. noun (plural -eries) Etymology: Middle English, from Anglo-French liveree, livree, literally, delivery, from liverer to deliver, from Latin liberare to free — more at liberate Date: 14th century 1. archaic the apportioning of provisions especially to servants ; allowance 2. a. the distinctive clothing or badge formerly worn by the retainers of a person of rank b. a servant's uniform c. distinctive dress ; garb d. chiefly British an identifying design (as on a vehicle) that designates ownership 3. archaic a. one's retainers or retinue b. the members of a British livery company 4. the act of delivering legal possession of property 5. a. the feeding, stabling, and care of horses for pay b. livery stable c. a concern offering vehicles (as boats) for rent II. adjective Date: 1778 1. resembling liver 2. suggesting liver disorder

Oxford Reference Dictionary

1. n. (pl. -ies) 1 a distinctive clothing worn by a member of a City Company or by a servant. b membership of a City livery company. 2 a distinctive guise or marking or outward appearance (birds in their winter livery). 3 a distinctive colour scheme in which the vehicles, aircraft, etc., of a particular company or line are painted. 4 US a place where horses can be hired. 5 hist. a provision of food or clothing for retainers etc. 6 Law a the legal delivery of property. b a writ allowing this. Phrases and idioms: at livery (of a horse) kept for the owner and fed and groomed for a fixed charge. livery company Brit. one of the London City Companies that formerly had a distinctive costume. livery stable a stable where horses are kept at livery or let out for hire. Derivatives: liveried adj. (esp. in senses 1, 2). Etymology: ME f. AF liveré, OF livrée, fem. past part. of livrer DELIVER 2. adj. 1 of the consistency or colour of liver. 2 Brit. (of soil) tenacious. 3 colloq. liverish.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Livery Liv"er*y, n.; pl. Liveries. [OE. livere, F. livr['e]e, formerly, a gift of clothes made by the master to his servants, prop., a thing delivered, fr. livrer to deliver, L. liberare to set free, in LL., to deliver up. See Liberate.] 1. (Eng. Law) (a) The act of delivering possession of lands or tenements. (b) The writ by which possession is obtained. Note: It is usual to say, livery of seizin, which is a feudal investiture, made by the delivery of a turf, of a rod, or twig, from the feoffor to the feoffee. In the United States, and now in Great Britain, no such ceremony is necessary, the delivery of a deed being sufficient. 2. Release from wardship; deliverance. It concerned them first to sue out their livery from the unjust wardship of his encroaching prerogative. --Milton. 3. That which is delivered out statedly or formally, as clothing, food, etc.; especially: (a) The uniform clothing issued by feudal superiors to their retainers and serving as a badge when in military service. (b) The peculiar dress by which the servants of a nobleman or gentleman are distinguished; as, a claret-colored livery. (c) Hence, also, the peculiar dress or garb appropriated by any association or body of persons to their own use; as, the livery of the London tradesmen, of a priest, of a charity school, etc.; also, the whole body or company of persons wearing such a garb, and entitled to the privileges of the association; as, the whole livery of London. A Haberdasher and a Carpenter, A Webbe, a Dyer, and a Tapicer, And they were clothed all in one livery Of a solempne and a gret fraternite. --Chaucer. From the periodical deliveries of these characteristic articles of servile costume (blue coats) came our word livery. --De Quincey. (d) Hence, any characteristic dress or outward appearance. `` April's livery.'' --Sir P. Sidney. Now came still evening on, and twilight gray Had in her sober livery all things clad. --Milton. (e) An allowance of food statedly given out; a ration, as to a family, to servants, to horses, etc. The emperor's officers every night went through the town from house to house whereat any English gentleman did repast or lodge, and served their liveries for all night: first, the officers brought into the house a cast of fine manchet [white bread], and of silver two great post, and white wine, and sugar. --Cavendish. (f) The feeding, stabling, and care of horses for compensation; boarding; as, to keep one's horses at livery. What livery is, we by common use in England know well enough, namely, that is, allowance of horse meat, as to keep horses at livery, the which word, I guess, is derived of livering or delivering forth their nightly food. --Spenser. It need hardly be observed that the explanation of livery which Spenser offers is perfectly correct, but . . . it is no longer applied to the ration or stated portion of food delivered at stated periods. --Trench. (g) The keeping of horses in readiness to be hired temporarily for riding or driving; the state of being so kept. Pegasus does not stand at livery even at the largest establishment in Moorfields. --Lowell. 4. A low grade of wool. Livery gown, the gown worn by a liveryman in London.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Livery Liv"er*y, v. t. To clothe in, or as in, livery. --Shak.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(liveries) 1. A servant's livery is the special uniform that he or she wears. N-VAR 2. The livery of a particular company is the special design or set of colours associated with it that is put on its products and possessions. ...buffet cars in the railway company's bright red and yellow livery. N-COUNT: usu with poss

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

n. 1. Dress (for distinction, as of servants). 2. Release, deliverance. 3. Ration, allowance. 4. Dress, covering, outward appearance, garb. 5. Badge, uniform. 6. (Law.) Delivery.

Moby Thesaurus

accouterments, armory, badge, badge of office, badges, baton, blazonry, brassard, button, cap and gown, caparison, chain, chain of office, class ring, cockade, collar, cross, decoration, dress, eagle, emblems, ensigns, fasces, figurehead, fleur-de-lis, furnishings, getup, hammer and sickle, harness, heraldry, insignia, lapel pin, mace, mantle, markings, medal, mortarboard, old school tie, outfit, pin, regalia, rig, ring, rose, school ring, shamrock, sigillography, skull and crossbones, sphragistics, staff, swastika, tartan, things, thistle, tie, trappings, trousseau, turnout, uniform, verge, wand, wardrobe