LIVERIES
Noun
liveries
plural of livery
Verb
liveries
Third-person singular simple present indicative form of livery
Source: Wiktionary
LIVERY
Liv"er*y, n.; pl. Liveries. Etym: [OE. livere, F. livrée, 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.
Liv"er*y, v. t.
Definition: To clothe in, or as in, livery. Shak.
Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition