English Explanatory Dictionary

relic

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. That which remains; that which is left after loss or decay; a remaining portion.
  2. Something old and outdated, possibly kept for sentimental reasons.
  3. A part of the body of a saint, or an ancient religious object, kept for veneration.
  4. A particle or entity that has existed since the Big Bang.
verb
  1. To cause (an object) to appear old or worn, to distress.
adj
  1. Pertaining to the Big Bang.

Pronunciation

/ˈɹɛlɪk/ LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-relic.wav

Word forms

relic relics relick relique relicing relicking reliced relicked

Etymology

From Middle English relik et al., from Old French relique, from Latin reliquiae (“remains, relics”), from relinquō (“to leave behind, abandon, relinquish”), from re- + linquō (“to leave, quit, forsake, depart from”). Doublet of relict, derelict, and relinquish.

Synonyms

remnant remainder residue lave leavings leftover ort relic remains remanent residuum rest rump halidom

Related words

delict delinquent derelict relict relinquish reliquary

Derived words

Planck relic relical reliclike relicmonger Relic Sunday
This entry uses open data from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA/GFDL). Word forms are used for search and are not indexed as separate pages.
Back to search All on R Russian dictionary Dahl dictionary