Nearby Words

relinquish

[ri-ling-kwish] Origin

re·lin·quish

[ri-ling-kwish]
verb (used with object)
1.
to renounce or surrender (a possession, right, etc.): to relinquish the throne.
2.
to give up; put aside or desist from: to relinquish a plan.
3.
to let go; release: to relinquish one's hold.

Origin:
1425–75; late Middle English relinquissen, relinquisshen < Middle French relinquiss-, long stem of relinquirLatin relinquere to leave behind, equivalent to re- re- + linquere to leave (akin to lend)

re·lin·quish·er, noun
re·lin·quish·ment, noun
non·re·lin·quish·ment, noun
un·re·lin·quished, adjective
un·re·lin·quish·ing, adjective


2. yield, cede, waive, forego, abdicate, leave, quit, forswear, desert, resign. See abandon1.

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
Cite This Source Link To relinquish

:10

:09

:08

:07

:06

:05

:04

:03

:02

:01

Relinquish is one of our favorite verbs.
So is bowdlerise. Does it mean:
to run away hurriedly; flee.
to expurgate (a written work) by removing or modifying passages considered vulgar or objectionable.
Collins
World English Dictionary
relinquish (rɪˈlɪŋkwɪʃ)
 
vb
1.  to give up (a task, struggle, etc); abandon
2.  to surrender or renounce (a claim, right, etc)
3.  to release; let go
 
[C15: from French relinquir, from Latin relinquere to leave behind, from re- + linquere to leave]
 
re'linquisher
 
n
 
re'linquishment
 
n

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Cite This Source
Etymonline
Word Origin & History

relinquish
1472, from M.Fr. relinquiss-, prp. stem of relinquir (12c.), from L. relinquere "leave behind, forsake, abandon, give up," from re- "back" + linquere "to leave," from PIE *linkw-, from base *leikw- "to leave behind" (cf. Skt. reknas "inheritance, wealth," rinakti "leaves;" Gk. leipein "to leave;" Goth.
EXPAND
leihvan, O.E. lænan "to lend;" O.H.G. lihan "to borrow;" O.N. lan "loan").
COLLAPSE
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
Cite This Source
Dictionary.com, LLC. Copyright © 2012. All rights reserved.
  • Please Login or Sign Up to use the Recent Searches feature