Dictionary
An American Dictionary of the English Language
Revised and enlarged (Goodrich & Porter)
Springfield, Mass. · G. & C. Merriam · 1865
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Look up a word as the writers of the time used it.
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.Re-lĭg'ion-ist, n. p. 1113One earnestly devoted or attached to a religion; a bigoted or affected practicer of religion. The chief actors on one side were, and were to be, the Puritan religionists. Palfrey.Re-lĭg'i-os'i-ty, n. p. 1113The quality of being religious; sense of religion; religiousness. [Rare.]Re-lĭg'ious, a. p. 1113Pertaining or relating to religion; concerned with religion; teaching or setting forth religion; set apart to religion; as, a religious society; a religious sect; a religious place; religious…Re-lĭg'ious, n. p. 1113A person bound by monastic vows, or sequestered from secular concerns, and devoted to a life of piety and devotion; a monk or friar; a nun. [Obs.] Addison.Re-lĭg'ious-ly, adv. p. 1113In a religious manner; with love and reverence to the Supreme Being; piously. Drayton. 2. According to the rites of religion; reverently; with veneration. Shak. 3. In accordance with religious…Re-lĭg'ious-ness, n. p. 1113The quality or state of being religious.Re-lĭn'quent, a. p. 1113Relinquishing.Re-lĭn'quent, n. p. 1113One who relinquishes.Re-lĭn'quish, v. t. p. 1113To withdraw from; to leave behind; to abandon; to quit. There is no doubt but we ought to relinquish such rites and orders. Hooker. They placed Irish tenants on the lands relinquished by the English.…Re-lĭn'quish-er, n. p. 1113One who relinquishes.Re-lĭn'quish-ment, n. p. 1113The act of leaving or quitting; a forsaking; the renouncing a claim to.Rĕl'i-qua-ry, n. p. 1113A small chest, box, or casket, in which relics are kept.Re-lĭque', n. p. 1113A relic. See RELIC.Re-lĭq'ui-æ, n. pl. p. 1113Remains of the dead; organic remains. Humble. 2. (Bot.) The same as INDUVIÆ. See INDUVIÆ.Rē-lĭq'uid-āte, v. t. p. 1113To liquidate anew; to adjust a second time.Rē-lĭq'uid-ā'tion, n. p. 1113A second or renewed liquidation; a renewed adjustment. Hamilton.Rĕl'ish, v. t. p. 1113To taste or eat with pleasure; to like the flavor of; to partake of with gratification; hence, to enjoy; to be pleased with or gratified by; to experience pleasure from; as, to relish a dish. Now I…Rēl'ish, v. i. p. 1113To have a pleasing taste; to give pleasure, gratification, or satisfaction; to be enjoyable. Had I been the finder-out of this secret, it would not have relished among my other discredits. Shak. 2.…Rēl'ish, n. p. 1113A pleasing taste; flavor that gratifies the palate. While we abstained From this delightful fruit, nor knew till now True relish, tasting. Milton. 2. Hence, enjoyable quality; power of pleasing. When…Rĕl'ish-a-ble, a. p. 1113Having an agreeable taste; worthy of being relished.