'Lien' definitions:

Definition of 'lien'

(from WordNet)
noun
The right to take another's property if an obligation is not discharged
noun
A large dark-red oval organ on the left side of the body between the stomach and the diaphragm; produces cells involved in immune responses [syn: spleen, lien]

Definition of 'Lien'

From: GCIDE
  • Lie \Lie\, v. i. [imp. Lay (l[=a]); p. p. Lain (l[=a]n), (Lien (l[imac]"[e^]n), Obs.); p. pr. & vb. n. Lying.] [OE. lien, liggen, AS. licgan; akin to D. liggen, OHG. ligen, licken, G. liegen, Icel. liggja, Sw. ligga, Dan. ligge, Goth. ligan, Russ. lejate, L. lectus bed, Gr. le`chos bed, le`xasqai to lie. Cf. Lair, Law, Lay, v. t., Litter, Low, adj.]
  • 1. To rest extended on the ground, a bed, or any support; to be, or to put one's self, in an horizontal position, or nearly so; to be prostate; to be stretched out; -- often with down, when predicated of living creatures; as, the book lies on the table; the snow lies on the roof; he lies in his coffin. [1913 Webster]
  • The watchful traveler . . . Lay down again, and closed his weary eyes. --Dryden. [1913 Webster]
  • 2. To be situated; to occupy a certain place; as, Ireland lies west of England; the meadows lie along the river; the ship lay in port. [1913 Webster]
  • 3. To abide; to remain for a longer or shorter time; to be in a certain state or condition; as, to lie waste; to lie fallow; to lie open; to lie hid; to lie grieving; to lie under one's displeasure; to lie at the mercy of the waves; the paper does not lie smooth on the wall. [1913 Webster]
  • 4. To be or exist; to belong or pertain; to have an abiding place; to consist; -- with in. [1913 Webster]
  • Envy lies between beings equal in nature, though unequal in circumstances. --Collier. [1913 Webster]
  • He that thinks that diversion may not lie in hard labor, forgets the early rising and hard riding of huntsmen. --Locke. [1913 Webster]
  • 5. To lodge; to sleep. [1913 Webster]
  • Whiles I was now trifling at home, I saw London, . . . where I lay one night only. --Evelyn. [1913 Webster]
  • Mr. Quinion lay at our house that night. --Dickens. [1913 Webster]
  • 6. To be still or quiet, like one lying down to rest. [1913 Webster]
  • The wind is loud and will not lie. --Shak. [1913 Webster]
  • 7. (Law) To be sustainable; to be capable of being maintained. "An appeal lies in this case." --Parsons. [1913 Webster]
  • Note: Through ignorance or carelessness speakers and writers often confuse the forms of the two distinct verbs lay and lie. Lay is a transitive verb, and has for its preterit laid; as, he told me to lay it down, and I laid it down. Lie is intransitive, and has for its preterit lay; as, he told me to lie down, and I lay down. Some persons blunder by using laid for the preterit of lie; as, he told me to lie down, and I laid down. So persons often say incorrectly, the ship laid at anchor; they laid by during the storm; the book was laying on the shelf, etc. It is only necessary to remember, in all such cases, that laid is the preterit of lay, and not of lie. [1913 Webster]
  • To lie along the shore (Naut.), to coast, keeping land in sight.
  • To lie at the door of, to be imputable to; as, the sin, blame, etc., lies at your door.
  • To lie at the heart, to be an object of affection, desire, or anxiety. --Sir W. Temple.
  • To lie at the mercy of, to be in the power of.
  • To lie by. (a) To remain with; to be at hand; as, he has the manuscript lying by him. (b) To rest; to intermit labor; as, we lay by during the heat of the day.
  • To lie hard or To lie heavy, to press or weigh; to bear hard.
  • To lie in, to be in childbed; to bring forth young.
  • To lie in one, to be in the power of; to belong to. "As much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men." --Rom. xii. 18.
  • To lie in the way, to be an obstacle or impediment.
  • To lie in wait, to wait in concealment; to lie in ambush.
  • To lie on or To lie upon. (a) To depend on; as, his life lies on the result. (b) To bear, rest, press, or weigh on.
  • To lie low, to remain in concealment or inactive. [Slang]
  • To lie on hand,
  • To lie on one's hands, to remain unsold or unused; as, the goods are still lying on his hands; they have too much time lying on their hands.
  • To lie on the head of, to be imputed to. [1913 Webster]
  • What he gets more of her than sharp words, let it lie on my head. --Shak. [1913 Webster]
  • To lie over. (a) To remain unpaid after the time when payment is due, as a note in bank. (b) To be deferred to some future occasion, as a resolution in a public deliberative body.
  • To lie to (Naut.), to stop or delay; especially, to head as near the wind as possible as being the position of greatest safety in a gale; -- said of a ship. Cf. {To bring to}, under Bring.
  • To lie under, to be subject to; to suffer; to be oppressed by.
  • To lie with. (a) To lodge or sleep with. (b) To have sexual intercourse with. (c) To belong to; as, it lies with you to make amends. [1913 Webster]

Definition of 'Lien'

From: GCIDE
  • Lien \Li"en\ (l[imac]"[e^]n), obs. p. p. of Lie. See lain. --Ps. lxviii. 13. [1913 Webster]

Definition of 'Lien'

From: GCIDE
  • Lien \Lien\ (l[=e]n or l[imac]"[e^]n; 277), n. [F. lien band, bond, tie, fr. L. ligamen, fr. ligare to bind. Cf. League a union, Leam a string, Leamer, Ligament.] (Law) A legal claim; a charge upon real or personal property for the satisfaction of some debt or duty; a right in one to control or hold and retain the property of another until some claim of the former is paid or satisfied. [1913 Webster]

Definition of 'lien'

From: GCIDE
  • Floating charge \Floating charge\, lien \lien\, etc. (Law) A charge, lien, etc., that successively attaches to such assets as a person may have from time to time, leaving him more or less free to dispose of or encumber them as if no such charge or lien existed.

Synonyms of 'lien'

From: Moby Thesaurus

Words containing 'Lien'