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f being liable; as, the liability of an insurer; liability to accidents; liability to the law.

Bound or obliged in law or equity; responsible; answerable; as, the surety is liable for the debt of his principal.

another to public hatred, contempt, or ridicule. Such publication is indictable at common law.

The party against whom a libel has been filed; -- corresponding to defendant in a common law action.

literal sense; free; as, a liberal translation of a classic, or a liberal construction of law or of language.

A privilege or license in violation of the laws of etiquette or propriety; as, to permit, or take, a liberty. He was repeatedly provoked into striking those who had taken liberties with him. Macaulay.

Excess of liberty; freedom abused, or used in contempt of law or decorum; disregard of law or propriety. License they mean when they cry liberty. Milton.

Unrestrained by law or morality; lawless; immoral; dissolute; lewd; lascivious; as, a licentious man; a licentious life. "Licentious wickedness." Shak.

Lawful. "Licit establishments." Carlyle. -- Lic"it*ly, adv. -- Lic"it*ness, n.

A devourer or absorber of money. "Law is a lickpenny." Sir W. Scott.

obligation of fealty and services. -- Liege poustie Etym: [L. legitima potestas] (Scots Law), perfect, i. e., legal, power; specif., having health requisite to do legal acts. -- Liege widowhood, perfect, i. e., pure, widowhood. [Obs.]

ence; a representative of, or substitute for, another in the performance of any duty. The lawful magistrate, who is the vicegerent or lieutenant of God. Abp. Bramhall.

An elementary piece of the mechanism of a lock. Limb of the law, a lawyer or an officer of the law. [Colloq.] Landor.

oaches, and may differ from it by less than any given difference, but to which, under the law of variation, the variable can never become exactly equivalent. Elastic limit. See under Elastic. -- Prison limits, a definite, extent of space in or around a prison, within which a prisoner has liberty to go and come.…

Involving a limit; as, a limitive law, one designed to limit existing powers. [R.]

nd nations that composed it [the Roman Empire] were linked together, not only by the same laws and the same government, but by all the facilities of commodious intercourse, and of frequent communication. Eustace.

uidated whenever the amount due is agreed on by the parties, or fixed by the operation of law. 15 Ga. Rep. 821. If our epistolary accounts were fairly liquidated, I believe you would be brought in considerable debtor. Chesterfield.

The act or process of liquidating; the state of being liquidated. To go into liquidation (Law), to turn over to a trustee one's assets and accounts, in order that the several amounts of one's indebtedness be authoritatively ascertained, and that the assets may be applied toward their discharge.

ral construction; unimaginative; matter-of fast; -- applied to persons. Literal contract (Law), contract of which the whole evidence is given in writing. Bouvier. -- Literal equation (Math.), an equation in which known quantities are expressed either wholly or in part by means of letters; -- distinguished from a numer…

printed compositions. (b) The exclusive right of publication as recognized and limited by law.