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derelict

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der⋅e⋅lict

  [der-uh-likt]
Use derelict in a Sentence
–adjective
1. left or deserted, as by the owner or guardian; abandoned: a derelict ship.
2. neglectful of duty; delinquent; negligent.
–noun
3. a person abandoned by society, esp. a person without a permanent home and means of support; vagrant; bum.
4. Nautical. a vessel abandoned in open water by its crew without any hope or intention of returning.
5. personal property abandoned or thrown away by the owner.
6. one guilty of neglect of duty.
7. Law. land left dry by a change of the water line.
Origin:
1640–50; < L dērelictus forsaken (ptp. of dērelinquere), equiv. to dē- de- + relictus ptp. of relinquere to leave, abandon; see relinquish

Related forms:
der⋅e⋅lict⋅ly, adverb
der⋅e⋅lict⋅ness, noun

Synonyms:
2. remiss, careless, heedless.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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der·e·lict   (děr'ə-lĭkt')   
adj.  

  1. Deserted by an owner or keeper; abandoned.

  2. Run-down; dilapidated.

  3. Neglectful of duty or obligation; remiss. See Synonyms at negligent.

n.  

  1. Abandoned property, especially a ship abandoned at sea.

  2. A homeless or jobless person; a vagrant.

  3. Law Land left dry by a permanent recession of the water line.


[Latin dērelictus, past participle of dērelinquere, to abandon : dē-, de- + relinquere, to leave behind; see relinquish.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Word Origin & History

derelict  (adj.)
1649, from L. derelictus, pp. of dereliquere "abandon," from de- "entirely" + relinquere "leave behind" (see relinquish). Originally especially of vessels abandoned at sea or stranded on shore. Dereliction "failure in duty" is from 1830.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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