relict
Use Relict in a sentence
ɪkt noun
1.
Ecology. a species or community living in an environment that has changed from that which is typical for it.
2.
a remnant or survivor.
3.
a widow.
Origin:
1525–35; < Medieval Latin relicta widow, noun use of feminine of Latin relictus, past participle of relinquere to relinquish
1525–35; < Medieval Latin relicta widow, noun use of feminine of Latin relictus, past participle of relinquere to relinquish
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Link To relict
Collins
World English Dictionary
relict (ˈrɛlɪkt) ![[Click for IPA pronunciation guide]](http://static.sfdict.com/dictstatic/g/d/dictionary_questionbutton_default.gif) | |
| —n | |
| 1. | ecology |
| a. a group of animals or plants that exists as a remnant of a formerly widely distributed group in an environment different from that in which it originated | |
| b. (as modifier): a relict fauna | |
| 2. | geology |
| a. a mountain, lake, glacier, etc, that is a remnant of a pre-existing formation after a destructive process has occurred | |
| b. a mineral that remains unaltered after metamorphism of the rock in which it occurs | |
| 3. | an archaic word for widow |
| 4. | an archaic word for relic |
| [C16: from Latin relictus left behind, from relinquere to | |
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Cite This Source
00:10
Relict
is always a great word to know.
So is quincunx. Does it mean:
| a chattering or flighty, light-headed person. |
| an arrangement of five objects, as trees, in a square or rectangle, one at each corner and one in the middle. |
Etymonline
Word Origin & History
relict
"widow," c.1460, from M.L. relicta "widow," noun use of fem. of relictus "abandoned, left behind," prop. pp. of L. relinquere "to leave behind" (see relinquish).
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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American Heritage
Medical Dictionary
relict rel·ict (rěl'ĭkt, rĭ-lĭkt')
n.
Something that has survived; a remnant.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Cite This Source
Example sentences
Relict features are commonly distinguished in the field by having sharp, distinct boundaries.
Dark matter can be understood as the relict of light.
The redox pattern is a relict feature and not considered indicative of present drainage conditions.
It's a relict of the earliest chapters of life, over three billion years ago.
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