livery

¹ American  

[liv-uh-ree, liv-ree] / ˈlɪv ə ri, ˈlɪv ri /

noun

liveries plural

1. the care, feeding, stabling, etc., of horses for pay.

2. Also called livery stable.  a stable where horses are cared for or rented out for pay.

3. a company that rents out automobiles, boats, etc.

4. a distinctive design or color scheme that marks something, especially a bus, train, airplane, etc., as belonging to a particular company or organization.

   This airline's red-and-blue livery makes its planes easy to spot.

5. a distinctive uniform, badge, or device formerly provided for servants.

6. 1. distinctive attire worn by an official, a member of a company or guild, etc.

   2. Also called livery company.  British. a guild or company of the City of London entitled to wear such livery.

7. characteristic dress or outward appearance.

   the green livery of summer.

8. Law. an ancient method of conveying a freehold by formal delivery of possession.

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livery ² American  

[liv-uh-ree] / ˈlɪv ə ri /

adjective

1. liverish.

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livery ¹ British  

/ ˈlɪvərɪ /

noun

1. the identifying uniform, badge, etc, of a member of a guild or one of the servants of a feudal lord

2. a uniform worn by some menservants and chauffeurs

3. an individual or group that wears such a uniform

4. distinctive dress or outward appearance

5. 1. the stabling, keeping, or hiring out of horses for money

   2. ( as modifier )

      a livery horse

6. being kept in a livery stable

7. legal history an ancient method of conveying freehold land

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livery ² British  

/ ˈlɪvərɪ /

adjective

1. of or resembling liver

2. another word for liverish

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• liveries
  plural

Etymology

Origin of livery¹

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English livere, from Anglo-French, equivalent to Old French livree “allowance (of food, clothing, etc.),” noun use of feminine past participle of livrer “to give over,” from Latin līberāre; see liberate

Origin of livery²

First recorded in 1770–80; liver ¹ + -y ¹

Explanation

A livery is a place that will take care of your horse, for a fee. You will mostly see this use now in historic novels — especially the kind where a cowboy rides into town and stables his horse at the livery. The noun livery also refers to a uniform sometimes worn by male servants, like doormen, footmen, and chauffeurs. Your cousin works for a prominent and wealthy family, and he is required to wear the livery of that family when he is on duty. He isn't allowed to say where he works, but he calls his boss, "Your Highness."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

livery liveries

Nearby, Iowa state congressman Eddie Andrews was hanging off the back of a farm tractor draped with stars-and-stripes livery, shouting "God bless America!" at the top of his lungs to crowds headed toward the Mall.

From Barron's ● Jul. 4, 2026

Mr. Salam chokes up as he remembers his father: “He drove a livery cab, and then he was a bookkeeper. He did all these different jobs.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 1, 2026

"This was done without my consent, authorisation, or licensing arrangement," he alleges, adding that the livery was removed after he had publicly raised concerns about its use.

From BBC ● Feb. 13, 2026

He added there might be some visible changes to the livery of trains but added it was the "first step" in a longer process of reform.

From BBC ● Feb. 1, 2026

Though not so sumptuously dressed as she, they were splendid enough to look upon in their blue-and-gold livery.

From "Crispin: The Cross of Lead" by Avi

Some carriers are wrapping their planes with special liveries for the occasion, for example.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 14, 2026

From the quintessential close finishes and eye-catching liveries, to the fascinating facilities and interesting personalities, I consumed all things NASCAR.

From Seattle Times ● Feb. 14, 2023

The plant, in the eastern city of Zhoushan, will install interiors and paint liveries.

From Reuters ● Nov. 2, 2018

I walked along the sidewalk as the bright liveries of European shipping companies—Waberer’s, of Hungary; Amenda, of Germany; Finejas, of Lithuania; Discordia, of Bulgaria—buffeted past.

From The New Yorker ● Jul. 23, 2018

It was bare, stripped of King Hamlet's liveries and banners.

From "Ophelia" by Lisa Klein

Related Words

• attire
• bundle up
• cloak
• disguise
• do up
• drape
• dress
• dress up
• equip
• fit
• swaddle
• swathe