relict (ˈrɛlɪkt) ![]() | |
| —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 | |
| 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. |
relict rel·ict (rěl'ĭkt, rĭ-lĭkt')
n.
Something that has survived; a remnant.