| 释义 |
relict
I. rel·ict \ˈrelikt, -lēkt\ noun
(-s)
Etymology: in sense 1, from Latin relictum, neuter of relictus, past participle of relinquere to leave behind; in sense 2, from Latin relicta, neuter plural of relictus; in sense 3, from Late Latin relicta, from Latin, feminine of relictus; in senses 4 & 5, from relict (II) — more at relinquish
1. obsolete : relic 1a
2. relicts plural, archaic : relic 2
3. : widow
< the relict of a famous general >
< a banker's wife who behaved as if she had been his relict — George Meredith >
4. : a persistent remnant of an otherwise extinct flora or fauna or kind of organism
< various Australian cycads are probably Carboniferous relicts >
< the metasequoia is a relict of a once abundant genus >
5. : a relict relief feature or rock
< older view that the Scandinavian mountain range is simply a relict of the higher ancient Caledonian range — Journal of Geology >
II. re·lict \rə̇ˈlikt, rēˈ-\ adjective
Etymology: Latin relictus, past participle of relinquere
1. obsolete : left behind by death; specifically : widowed
2. also relic
a. : remaining after other parts have been removed or have disappeared : residual
< relict lake >
< relict mountain >
< relict quartz >
b. : left behind in a process of change
< relict sulfides in a partly oxidized ore body >
3. also relic : surviving as a remnant of a vanishing race, type, or species : belonging to an otherwise extinct class or kind
< such relict animals as the opossum — Weston La Barre > |