Толковый словарь английского языка - liaison

noun Etymology: French, from Middle French, from lier, from Old French Date: circa 1648 a binding or thickening agent used in cooking, 2. a close bond or connection ; interrelationship, an illicit sexual relationship ; affair 3a, 3. communication for establishing and maintaining mutual understanding and cooperation (as between parts of an armed force), one that establishes and maintains ~, the pronunciation of an otherwise absent consonant sound at the end of the first of two consecutive words the second of which begins with a vowel sound and follows without pause