Livery

5 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  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.
            [1913 Webster]
  
     Note: It is usual to say, {livery of seizin}, which is a
           feudal investiture, made by the delivery of a turf, of
           a rod, a twig, or a key from the feoffor to the feoffee
           as a symbol of delivery of the whole property. There
           was a distinction of {livery in deed} when this
           ceremony was performed on the property being
           transferred, and {livery in law} when performed in
           sight of the property, but not on it. In the United
           States, and now in Great Britain, no such ceremony is
           necessary, the delivery of a deed being sufficient as a
           livery of seizin, regardless of where performed.
           --Black's 4th Ed.
           [1913 Webster +PJC]
  
     2. Release from wardship; deliverance.
        [1913 Webster]
  
              It concerned them first to sue out their livery from
              the unjust wardship of his encroaching prerogative.
                                                    --Milton.
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     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.
            [1913 Webster]
  
                  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.
            [1913 Webster]
  
                  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.
            [1913 Webster]
  
                  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.
            [1913 Webster]
  
                  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 pots, 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.
            [1913 Webster]
  
                  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.
            [1913 Webster]
  
                  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; also, the place where horses are so kept,
            also called a {livery stable}.
            [1913 Webster]
  
                  Pegasus does not stand at livery even at the
                  largest establishment in Moorfields. --Lowell.
            [1913 Webster]
  
     4. A low grade of wool.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     {Livery gown}, the gown worn by a liveryman in London.
        [1913 Webster]

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Livery \Liv"er*y\, v. t.
     To clothe in, or as in, livery. --Shak.
     [1913 Webster]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  livery
       adj : suffering from or suggesting a liver disorder or gastric
             distress [syn: {bilious}, {liverish}]
       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}, {legal
          transfer}]
       3: the care (feeding and stabling) of horses for pay

From Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0 [moby-thes]:

  62 Moby Thesaurus words for "livery":
     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
  
  

From Bouvier's Law Dictionary, Revised 6th Ed (1856) [bouvier]:

  LIVERY, Engl. law. 1. The delivery of possession of lands to those tenants 
  who hold of the king in capite, or knight's service. 2. Livery was also the 
  name of a writ which lay for the heir of age, to obtain the possession of 
  seisin of his lands at the king's hands. F. N. B. 155. 3. It signifies, in 
  the third place, the clothes given by a nobleman or gentleman to his 
  servant.