Definition

1. Noun:

   • A distinctive uniform or set of clothing worn by members of a specific household, company, or group, especially servants or chauffeurs: This is the most common modern meaning, referring to a special outfit that identifies the wearer's affiliation.
   • The keeping, feeding, and stabling of horses for a fee: This historical meaning refers to the business of caring for horses, often where horses could be rented.
   • The delivery of property into legal possession; the granting of a right or title: A legal term for the act of formally handing over possession of something.

2. Adjective:

   • Resembling the color of the liver; of a dull reddish-brown or grayish-yellow hue: Describes a specific, often unhealthy-looking color.
   • (Archaic) Suffering from a liver disorder; bilious or irritable: An old-fashioned use describing a sickly condition or temperament associated with liver problems.

Usage Examples

• Noun (Uniform):

  • The hotel's doormen wore a distinctive green and gold livery.
  • In the 18th century, all the footmen of the estate were required to wear the family's livery.

• Noun (Horse Care):

  • He boarded his horse at the city livery stable.
  • The inn offered livery services for travelers' horses.

• Noun (Legal):

  • The livery of seisin was a medieval ceremony for transferring land ownership.

• Adjective (Color):

  • The old book's pages had turned a livery yellow.
  • He was alarmed by the patient's livery complexion.

Advanced Usage

• "At livery": (Of a horse) being kept and cared for at a stable for a fee.

  • Her horse is at livery while she is abroad.

• "Livery company": One of the ancient trade guilds of the City of London, whose members historically wore distinctive ceremonial gowns or "livery".

  • The Worshipful Company of Goldsmiths is a famous London livery company.

Variants and Related Words

• Liveryman (n): A member of a livery company; or a person who works in or keeps a livery stable.
• Livery stable (n): A stable where horses are kept for their owners or rented out.
• Deliver (v): While distinct, this verb shares the etymological root related to the "handing over" sense of "livery".

Synonyms

• Uniform: (for the clothing sense) regalia, attire, garb.
• Boarding: (for the horse care sense) stabling, keeping.
• Transfer: (for the legal sense) conveyance, delivery, grant.

Related Phrases

• In livery: Wearing the uniform of a servant or a specific organization.

  • All the chauffeurs were in livery for the formal event.

• Out of livery: Not wearing such a uniform.

  • The butler was out of livery when he answered the door.

Related Idioms

• Livery of grief: (Literary) The outward appearance or signs of mourning.
  • She wore her sorrow like a livery of grief.

Adjective

1. suffering from or suggesting a liver disorder or gastric distress

Noun

1. the care (feeding and stabling) of horses for pay
2. the voluntary transfer of something (title or possession) from one party to another
3. uniform worn by some menservants and chauffeurs