Link Centre Dictionary

relict

re·lict

UK/ˈɹɛlɪkt/ uncommon archaic formal

noun

1.

an organism or species surviving as a remnant of an otherwise extinct flora or fauna in an environment much changed from that in which it originated

2.

geological feature that is a remnant of a pre-existing formation after other parts have disappeared

Origin

Inherited from Middle English relicte (“widow”), from Middle French relicte (“widow”), from Late Latin relicta (“widow”), from Latin relictus, past participle of relinquō (“to abandon, to relinquish, to leave (behind)”), from re- + linquō (“to leave, quit, forsake, depart from”). Doublet of relic, derelict, and relinquish.

Related words

Broader terms

WordNet 2.1 (Princeton University). Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). WordNet 2.1 Copyright Princeton University. All rights reserved. Wiktionary content is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike Licence.