Dictionary
An American Dictionary of the English Language
Revised and enlarged (Goodrich & Porter)
Springfield, Mass. · G. & C. Merriam · 1865
- Entries
- 95,912
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- 2,133
Look up a word as the writers of the time used it.
Re-lāt'rix, n. p. 1112(Law.) A female relator.Re-lăx', v. t. p. 1112To make lax or loose; to make less close, firm, rigid, tense, or the like; to slacken; to loosen; to open; as, to relax a rope or cord; to relax the muscles or sinews. Nor served it to relax their…Re-lāx', v. i. p. 1112To become loosened or feeble; to be made lax. His knees relax with toil. Pope. 2. To abate in severity; to become more mild or less rigorous. In others she relaxed again, And governed with a looser…Re-lāx', n. p. 1112Relaxation. [Obs.] Feltham.Re-lāx', a. p. 1112Relaxed; lax. [Rare.]Re-lāx'a-ble, a. p. 1112Capable of being relaxed or remitted. Barrow.Re-lăx'ant, n. p. 1112(Med.) A medicine that relaxes or opens.Rē'lax-ā'tion, n. p. 1112The act of relaxing, or the state of being relaxed or slackened; remission of closeness, firmness, tension, rigor, effort, or constipation; loosening; opening; as, relaxation of the muscles, or of…Re-lăx'ă-tive, a. p. 1112Having the quality of relaxing; laxative.Re-lăx'a-tive, n. p. 1112A medicine that relaxes; a laxative. [Rare.] B. Jonson.Re-lāy', n. p. 1112A supply of any thing arranged beforehand for affording relief from time to time, or at successive stages; provision for successive relief; as, specifically, (a.) A supply of horses placed on the…Rē-lāy', v. t. p. 1112To lay again; to lay a second time; as, to relay a pavement.Re-lēas'a-ble, a. p. 1112Capable of being released.Re-lēase', v. t. p. 1112To let loose again; to set free from restraint or confinement; to give liberty to; to let go. Now at that feast he released unto them one prisoner, whomsoever they desired. Mark xv. 6. 2. To relieve…Rē-lēase', v. t. p. 1112To lease again; to grant a new lease of; to let back.Re-lēase', n. p. 1112The act of letting loose or freeing, or the state of being let loose or freed; liberation or discharge from restraint of any kind, as from confinement or bondage. “Who boast’st release from hell?”…Re-lēas-ee', n. p. 1112A person to whom a release is given.Re-lēase'ment, n. p. 1112The act of releasing, as from confinement or obligation. Milton.Re-lēas'er, n. p. 1112One who releases.Rĕl'e-gāte, v. t. p. 1112To remove; to dispatch; to consign; to remand; to transfer; specifically, to send into exile; to banish. It [the Latin language] was relegated into the study of the scholar. Milman.Rĕl'e-gā'tion, n. p. 1112The act of relegating; removal; consignment; banishment; exile.Re-lēnt', v. i. p. 1112To become less rigid or hard; to lose compactness; to give way; to yield; to dissolve; to deliquesce; to relax. [Obs.] In some houses sweetmeats will relent more than in others. Bacon. Salt of tartar…Re-lēnt', v. t. p. 1112To slacken. And oftentimes he would relent his pace. Spencer. 2. To soften; to mollify. Spencer.Re-lēnt', a. p. 1112Dissolved; melted. [Obs.]Re-lēnt', n. p. 1112Remission; stay; stop; delay. [Obs.] She came without relent unto the land of Amazons. Spencer.Re-lĕnt'less, a. p. 1112Unmoved by appeals to sympathy or forgiveness; insensible to the distresses of others; destitute of tenderness; unpitying; as, a prey to relentless despotism. For this the avenging power employs his…Re-lĕnt'less-ly, adv. p. 1112In a relentless manner; without pity.Re-lēnt'less-ness, n. p. 1112The quality of being relentless, or unmoved by pity.Re-lĕnt'ment, n. p. 1112The condition or state of relenting; softening; relaxation. [Rare.] Browne.Rē'les-see', n. p. 1112The person to whom a release is executed.Rē/les-sōr', n. p. 1112The person who executes a release. There must be a privity of estate between the releasor and releasee. Blackstone.Re-lēt', v. t. p. 1112To let anew, as a house.Rĕl'e-vance or Rĕl'e-van-cy, n. p. 1112The state of being relevant, or of affording relief or aid; pertinence; applicableness. Its meaning little reason, little relevancy bore. E. A. Poe. 2. (Scots Law.) Sufficiency to infer the…Rēl'e-vant, a. p. 1112Relieving; lending aid or support. [Rare.] Pownall. 2. Bearing upon, or properly applying to, the case in hand; pertinent; applicable. Close and relevant arguments have very little hold on the…Rĕl'e-vā'tion, n. p. 1112A raising or lifting up. [Obs.]Re-lĭ/a-bĭl'i-ty, n. p. 1112The state or quality of being reliable; reliableness.Re-lī'a-ble, a. p. 1112Suitable or fit to be relied on; worthy of dependence or reliance; trustworthy. “A reliable witness to the truth of the miracles of Jesus.” J. Norton. According to General Livingston’s humorous…Re-lī'a-ble-ness, n. p. 1112The state or quality of being reliable; trustworthiness.Re-li'a-bly, adv. p. 1112In a reliable manner.Re-lī'ance, n. p. 1112The act of relying, or the condition or quality of being reliant; dependence; confidence; trust; repose of mind upon what is deemed sufficient support or authority. “In reliance on promises which…Re-lī'ant, a. p. 1112Having reliance; confident; trusting.Rĕl'ic, n. p. 1112That which remains; that which is left after loss or decay. Shall we go see the relics of this town? Shak. 2. The body of a deceased person; a corpse; specifically, the body, or some part of the…Rĕl'ic-ly, adv. p. 1112In the manner of relics. [Rare.]Rĕl'ict, n. p. 1112A woman whose husband is dead; a widow. Eli dying without issue, Jacob was obliged by law to marry his relict, and so to raise up seed to his brother Eli. South.Re-liet'ed, a. p. 1112(Law.) Left uncovered, as land by the retrocession of the sea or other water. Bouvier.Re-li-e'tion, n. p. 1112(Law.) Land left uncovered by the retrocession of the sea or other water. Bouvier.Re-lief', n. p. 1112The act of relieving, or the state of being relieved; the removal of any evil, or of any thing oppressive or burdensome, by which some ease is obtained; succor; comfort; ease; redress. He sees the…Relief-valve p. 1113a valve through which the water escapes into the hot-well, when shut off from the boiler. Weale. Syn. — Alleviation; mitigation; aid; help; succor; assistance; remedy; redress; indemnification.Re-liēf'less, a. p. 1113Without relief; remediless.Re-lī'er, n. p. 1113One who relies, or has full confidence.Re-liēv'a-ble, a. p. 1113Capable of being relieved; fitted to receive relief. Hale.Re-liēve′, v. t. p. 1113To lift up; to raise again; to cause to rise; hence, to cause to seem to rise; to put in relief; to give prominence or conspicuousness to; to set off by contrast. Her tall figure, relieved against…Re-liēve'ment, n. p. 1113The act of relieving, or the state of being relieved; relief; release.Re-liēv'er, n. p. 1113One who relieves; one who, or that which, gives ease. 2. (Gun.) An iron ring fixed to a handle, and serving to disengage the searcher of a gun when one of its points is retained in a hole. Craig.Re-liēv'ing, p. a. p. 1113Serving or tending to relieve. Relieving arch. See DISCHARGING ARCH. — Relieving tackle. (Naut.) (a.) A temporary tackle attached to the tiller of a vessel during gales or an action, in case of…Rē-līght′, v. t. p. 1113To light anew; to illuminate again; to set on fire again.Re-lĭg'ion, n. p. 1113The recognition of God as an object of worship, love, and obedience; right feelings toward God as rightly apprehended; piety. Let us with caution indulge the supposition that morality can be…Re-lĭg'ion-a-ry, a. p. 1113Relating to religion; pious. [Obs.] Bp. Barlow.Re-lĭg'ion-a-ry or Re-lĭg'ion-er, n. p. 1113A religionist. [Rare.]Re-lĭg'ion-ism, n. p. 1113Practice of, or adherence to, religion. Stewart. 2. Affected or false religion.