Library

Dictionary

An American Dictionary of the English Language

Revised and enlarged (Goodrich & Porter)

Springfield, Mass. · G. & C. Merriam · 1865

Entries
95,912
Pages
1,538
Illustrations
2,133

Look up a word as the writers of the time used it.

  1. Re-lēt', v. t.p. 1112To let anew, as a house.
  2. 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…
  3. 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…
  4. Rĕl'e-vā'tion, n.p. 1112A raising or lifting up. [Obs.]
  5. Re-lĭ/a-bĭl'i-ty, n.p. 1112The state or quality of being reliable; reliableness.
  6. 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…
  7. Re-lī'a-ble-ness, n.p. 1112The state or quality of being reliable; trustworthiness.
  8. Re-li'a-bly, adv.p. 1112In a reliable manner.
  9. 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…
  10. Re-lī'ant, a.p. 1112Having reliance; confident; trusting.
  11. 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…
  12. Rĕl'ic-ly, adv.p. 1112In the manner of relics. [Rare.]
  13. 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.
  14. Re-liet'ed, a.p. 1112(Law.) Left uncovered, as land by the retrocession of the sea or other water. Bouvier.
  15. Re-li-e'tion, n.p. 1112(Law.) Land left uncovered by the retrocession of the sea or other water. Bouvier.
  16. 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…
  17. Relief-valvep. 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.
  18. Re-liēf'less, a.p. 1113Without relief; remediless.
  19. Re-lī'er, n.p. 1113One who relies, or has full confidence.
  20. Re-liēv'a-ble, a.p. 1113Capable of being relieved; fitted to receive relief. Hale.
  21. 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…
  22. Re-liēve'ment, n.p. 1113The act of relieving, or the state of being relieved; relief; release.
  23. 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.
  24. 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…
  25. Rē-līght′, v. t.p. 1113To light anew; to illuminate again; to set on fire again.
  26. 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…
  27. Re-lĭg'ion-a-ry, a.p. 1113Relating to religion; pious. [Obs.] Bp. Barlow.
  28. Re-lĭg'ion-a-ry or Re-lĭg'ion-er, n.p. 1113A religionist. [Rare.]
  29. Re-lĭg'ion-ism, n.p. 1113Practice of, or adherence to, religion. Stewart. 2. Affected or false religion.
  30. 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.
  31. Re-lĭg'i-os'i-ty, n.p. 1113The quality of being religious; sense of religion; religiousness. [Rare.]
  32. 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…
  33. 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.
  34. 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…
  35. Re-lĭg'ious-ness, n.p. 1113The quality or state of being religious.
  36. Re-lĭn'quent, a.p. 1113Relinquishing.
  37. Re-lĭn'quent, n.p. 1113One who relinquishes.
  38. 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.…
  39. Re-lĭn'quish-er, n.p. 1113One who relinquishes.
  40. Re-lĭn'quish-ment, n.p. 1113The act of leaving or quitting; a forsaking; the renouncing a claim to.
  41. Rĕl'i-qua-ry, n.p. 1113A small chest, box, or casket, in which relics are kept.
  42. Re-lĭque', n.p. 1113A relic. See RELIC.
  43. Re-lĭq'ui-æ, n. pl.p. 1113Remains of the dead; organic remains. Humble. 2. (Bot.) The same as INDUVIÆ. See INDUVIÆ.
  44. Rē-lĭq'uid-āte, v. t.p. 1113To liquidate anew; to adjust a second time.
  45. Rē-lĭq'uid-ā'tion, n.p. 1113A second or renewed liquidation; a renewed adjustment. Hamilton.
  46. 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…
  47. 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.…
  48. 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…
  49. Rĕl'ish-a-ble, a.p. 1113Having an agreeable taste; worthy of being relished.
  50. Rē-live', v. i.p. 1113To live again; to revive. Spenser.
  51. Rē-live', v. t.p. 1113To recall to life. [Obs.]
  52. Rē-lōad', v. t.p. 1113To load anew, as a gun.
  53. Rē-lōan', v. t.p. 1113To loan again; to lend, as that which has been lent and repaid.
  54. Rē-lōan', n.p. 1113A second lending of the same thing.
  55. Rē-lō'eāte, v. t.p. 1113To locate a second time.
  56. Rē′lo-eā′tion, n.p. 1113A second location. Scott. 2. (Law.) Renewal of a lease.
  57. Rē-lŏdge', v. t.p. 1113To lodge again.
  58. Rē-lōve', v. t.p. 1113To love in return. [Obs.] Boyle.
  59. Re-lū'cent, a.p. 1113Shining; transparent; clear; pellucid; as, a relucent stream. Gorgeous banners to the sun expand Their streaming volumes of relucent gold. Glover.
  60. Re-lŭct′, v. i.p. 1113To strive or struggle against any thing; to make resistance; to show reluctance or repugnance. He was by nature passionate, but more apt to reluct at the excesses of it. Walton.