Source : Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)

Alliance \Al*li"ance\, v. t.
   To connect by alliance; to ally. [Obs.]

Alliance \Al*li"ance\, n. [OE. aliaunce, OF. aliance, F.
   alliance, fr. OF. alier, F. allier. See {Ally}, and cf. LL.
   alligantia.]
   1. The state of being allied; the act of allying or uniting;
      a union or connection of interests between families,
      states, parties, etc., especially between families by
      marriage and states by compact, treaty, or league; as,
      matrimonial alliances; an alliance between church and
      state; an alliance between France and England.

   2. Any union resembling that of families or states; union by
      relationship in qualities; affinity.

            The alliance of the principles of the world with
            those of the gospel.                  --C. J. Smith.

            The alliance . . . between logic and metaphysics.
                                                  --Mansel.

   3. The persons or parties allied. --Udall.

   Syn: Connection; affinity; union; confederacy; confederation;
        league; coalition.

Source : WordNet®

alliance
     n 1: the state of being allied or confederated [syn: {confederation}]
     2: a connection based on kinship or marriage or common
        interest; "the shifting alliances within a large family";
        "their friendship constitutes a powerful bond between
        them" [syn: {bond}]
     3: an organization of people (or countries) involved in a pact
        or treaty [syn: {coalition}, {alignment}, {alinement}]
        [ant: {nonalignment}]
     4: a formal agreement establishing an association or alliance
        between nations or other groups to achieve a particular
        aim
     5: the act of forming an alliance or confederation [syn: {confederation}]

Source : Free On-Line Dictionary of Computing

ALLIANCE
     
         A complete set of {CAD} tools for teaching Digital
        {CMOS} {VLSI} Design in Universities.  It includes a {VHDL}
        compiler and simulator, {logic synthesis} tools, and automatic
        place and route tools.  ALLIANCE is the result of a ten years
        effort at University Pierre et Marie Curie (PARIS VI, France).
     
        It runs on {Sun-4}, not well supported: {MIPS}/{Ultrix},
        {386}/{SystemV}.
     
        Current version: 1.1, as of 1993-02-16.
     
        (1993-02-16)