Livery

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈlɪ.və.ɹi/

Definitions

1. A specific type of uniform or garment traditionally worn by servants or officials, a symbol of a particular organization, or a term describing horse-keeping establishments
2. A marked outfit denoting rank or affiliation, typically seen on staff or members, as well as a place where horses are boarded and available for hire
3. Clothing worn to signify membership or rank within a group or household ; a facility offering care and hire of horses

Etymology: The most surprising thing about "livery" is that its ancestor has nothing to do with clothing at all. Its ultimate source is the Latin verb "liberare", meaning "to deliver" or "to hand over", which gave Old French "livrer" and the related noun "livree": a portion of goods, food or allowance handed out to a retainer. Liveries were originally the rations or provisions a lord supplied to his household, and the sense of a delivered allowance is what carried into the Middle English and Anglo-Norman forms. Over time the meaning shifted from the goods themselves to the clothing that a lord gave his servants, often in his household colours, which both identified them and displayed whose people they were. The uniform was, in effect, the lord's distributed allowance taken on the body. That is why a modern livery company or a hotel doorman's coat still signals whom the wearer serves.

Synonyms: uniform, outfit