lia

a. [ From F. lier to bind, L. ligare. Cf. Ally, v. t., Ligature. ] 1. Bound or obliged in law or equity; responsible; answerable; as, the surety is liable for the debt of his principal. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Exposed to a certain contingency or casualty, more or less probable; -- with to and an infinitive or noun; as, liable to slip; liable to accident. [ 1913 Webster ]

Syn. -- Accountable; responsible; answerable; bound; subject; obnoxious; exposed. -- Liable, Subject. Liable refers to a future possible or probable happening which may not actually occur; as, horses are liable to slip; even the sagacious are liable to make mistakes. Subject refers to any actual state or condition belonging to the nature or circumstances of the person or thing spoken of, or to that which often befalls one. One whose father was subject to attacks of the gout is himself liable to have that disease. Men are constantly subject to the law, but liable to suffer by its infraction. [ 1913 Webster ]

Proudly secure, yet liable to fall. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

All human things are subject to decay. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Quality of being liable; liability. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Cf. OF. liage a bond. See Liable. ] Union by league; alliance. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. [ By back-formation from liaison. ] 1. To form or maintain a liaison{ 3 }. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To act as a liaison{ 4 }. [ PJC ]

n. [ F., fr. L. ligatio, fr. ligare to bind. See Ligature, and cf. Ligation. ] 1. A union, or bond of union; an intimacy; an interrelationship. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Specifically, An illicit sexual relation between a man and a woman; a sexual afffair. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Specifically: A process of communication between parts of an organization or between two organizations acting together for a common purpose. [ PJC ]

4. Hence: A person whose function it is to maintain such communication. [ PJC ]

5. (Phonetics) A pronunciation of a consonant sound that would be otherwise silent, such as the final consonant of certain French words, when the following word begins with a vowel sound. [ PJC ]

{ } n. [ F. liane; prob. akin to lien a band, fr. L. ligamen, fr. ligare to bind. Cf. Lien, n. ] (Bot.) A luxuriant woody plant, climbing high trees and having ropelike stems. The grapevine often has the habit of a liane. Lianes are abundant in the forests of the Amazon region. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ } n. [ From native name. ] A heavy weapon of the Australian aborigines with a sharp-pointed end, about nine inches in length, projecting at right angles from the main part. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

n. [ OE. liere. See Lie to falsify. ] A person who knowingly utters falsehood; one who lies. [ 1913 Webster ]