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1. WordNet® 3.0 (2006)
livery
    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

2. The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
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.
      [1913 Webster]

   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]

3. The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
Livery \Liv"er*y\, v. t.
   To clothe in, or as in, livery. --Shak.
   [1913 Webster]

4. Bouvier's Law Dictionary, Revised 6th Ed (1856)
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. 



Thesaurus Results for Livery:

1. Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0
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
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