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 liver{eacute}, OF livr{eacute}e, fem. past part. of livrer DELIVER 2. adj.1 of the consistency or colour of liver.
2 Brit. (of soil) tenacious.
3 colloq. liverish.