liase - n.
1 (Lias) Geol. the lower strata of the Jurassic system of rocks, consisting of shales and limestones rich in fossils.
2 a blue limestone rock found in SW England.

liassic adj. (in sense 1). [ME f. OF liois hard limestone, prob. f. Gmc]

liase - n.
(pl. -ies)
1 the state of being liable.
2 a person or thing that is troublesome as an unwelcome responsibility; a handicap.
3 what a person is liable for, esp. (in pl.) debts or pecuniary obligations.

liase - predic.adj.
1 legally bound.
2 (foll. by to) subject to (a tax or penalty).
3 (foll. by to + infin.) under an obligation.
4 (foll. by to) exposed or open to (something undesirable).
5 disp. (foll. by to + infin.) apt, likely (it is liable to rain).
6 (foll. by for) answerable. [ME perh. f. AF f. OF lier f. L ligare bind]

liase - v.intr. (foll. by with, between) colloq. establish cooperation, act as a link. [back-form. f. LIAISON]

liase - n.
1 communication or cooperation, esp. between military forces or units.
2 an illicit sexual relationship.
3 the binding or thickening agent of a sauce.
4 the sounding of an ordinarily silent final consonant before a word beginning with a vowel (or a mute h in French).

liaison officer an officer acting as a link between allied forces or units of the same force. [F f. lier bind f. L ligare]

liase - n.
(also liane) any of several climbing and twining plants of tropical forests. [F liane, lierne clematis, of uncert. orig.]