Emily Dickinson Lexicon

RE-LI'ANCE, n. [from rely.]

Rest or repose of mind, resulting from a full belief of the veracity or integrity of a person, or of the certainty of a fact; trust; confidence; dependence. We may have perfect reliance on the promises of God; we have reliance on the testimony of witnesses; we place reliance on men of known integrity, or on the strength and stability of government.

REL'IC, n. [Fr. relique; L. reliquiæ, from relinquo, to leave; re and linquo.]

1. That which remains; that which is left after the loss or decay of the rest; as, the relics of a town; the relics of magnificence; the relics of antiquity. The relics of saints, real or pretended, are held in great veneration by the Romanists.
2. The body of a deceased person; a corpse. [Usually in the plural.] – Dryden. Pope.

REL'IC-LY, adv.

In the manner of relics. [Little used.]

REL'ICT, n. [L. relictus, relicta, from relinquo, to leave.]

A widow; a woman whose husband is dead. Sprat. Garth.

RE-LI'ED, pp.

Reposed on something, as the mind; confided in; depended.

RE-LIEF, n. [Fr. relief; It. rilevo, relievo, from rilevare, tol raise, to lift, to remove; Sp. relieve, relevar; re and llevar, to raise.]

1. The removal, in whole or in part, of any evil that afflicts the body or mind; the removal or alleviation of pain, grief, want, care, anxiety, toil or distress, or of any thing oppressive or burdensome, by which some ease is obtained. Rest gives relief to the body when weary; an anodyne gives relief from pain; the sympathy of friends affords some relief to the distressed; a loan of money to a man embarrassed may afford him a temporary relief; medicines which will not cure a disease, sometimes give a partial relief. A complete relief from the troubles of life is never to be expected.
2. That which mitigates or removes pain, grief or other evil. – Dryden.
3. The dismission of a sentinel from his post, whose place is supplied by another soldier; also, the person who takes his place.
4. In sculpture, &c. the projecture or prominence of a figure above or beyond the ground or plane on which it is formed. Relief is of three kinds; high relief [alto relievo;] low relief [basso relievo;] and demi relief [demi relievo.] The difference is in the degree of projecture. High relief is formed from nature, as when a figure projects as much as the life. Low relief is when the figure projects but little, as in medals, festoons, foliages and other ornaments. Demi relief is when one half of the figure rises from the plane. – Encyc.
5. In painting, the appearance of projection, or the degree of boldness which a figure exhibits to the eye at a distance.
6. In feudal law, fine or composition which the heir of a tenant, holding by knight's service or other tenure, paid to the lord at the death of the ancestor, for the privilege of taking up the estate which, on strict feudal principles, had lapsed or fallen to the lord on the death of the tenant. This relief consisted of horses, arms, money and the like, the amount of which was originally arbitrary, but afterward fixed at a certain rate by law. It is not payable, unless the heir at the death of his ancestor had attained to the age of twenty-one years. – Blackstone. Encyc.
7. A remedy, partial or total, for any wrong suffered; redress; indemnification. He applied to chancery, but could get no relief. He petitioned the legislature and obtained relief.
8. The exposure of any thing by the proximity of something else. – Johnson.

RE-LI'ER, n. [from rely.]

One who relies, or places full confidence in.

RE-LIEV-A-BLE, a.

Capable of being relieved; that may receive relief. – Hale.

RE-LIEVE, v.t. [Fr. relever; L. relevo. See Relief.]

1. To free, wholly or partially, from pain, grief, want, anxiety, care, toil, trouble, burden, oppression, or any thing that is considered to be an evil; to ease of any thing that pains the body or distresses the mind. Repose relieves the wearied body; a supply of provisions relieves a family in want; medicines may relieve the sick man, even when they do not cure him. We all desire to be relieved from anxiety and from heavy taxes. Law or duty, or both, require that we should relieve the poor and destitute.
2. To alleviate or remove; as when we say, to relieve pain or distress; to relieve the wants of the poor.
3. To dismiss from a post or station, as sentinels, a guard or ships, and station others in their place. Sentinels are generally relieved every two hours; a guard is usually relieved once in twenty four hours.
4. To right; to ease of any burden, wrong or oppression by judicial or legislative interposition, by the removal of a grievance, by indemnification for losses and the like.
5. To abate the inconvenience of any thing by change, or by the interposition of something dissimilar. The moon relieves the luster of the sun with a milder light. The poet must not encumber his poem with too much business, but sometimes relieve the subject with a moral reflection. – Addison.
6. To assist; to support. Parallels or like relations alternately relieve each other; when neither will pass asunder, yet they are plausible together. – Brown.

RE-LIEV-ED, pp.

1. Freed from pain or other evil; eased or cured; aided; succored; dismissed from watching.
2. Alleviated or removed; as pain or distress.

RE-LIEV-ER, n.

One that relieves; he or that which gives ease.

RE-LIEV-ING, ppr.

Removing pain or distress, or abating the violence of it; easing; curing; assisting; dismissing from a post, as a sentinel; supporting.

RE-LIE-VO, n. [It.]

Relief; prominence of figures in statuary, architecture, &c.; apparent prominence of figures in painting.

RE-LIGHT, v.t. [reli'te. re and light.]

1. To light anew; to illuminate again.
2. To rekindle; to set on fire again.

RE-LIGHT-ED, pp.

Lighted anew; rekindled.

RE-LIGHT-ING, ppr.

Lighting again; rekindling.

RE-LIG-ION, n. [relij'ion; Fr. and Sp. religion; It. religione; L. religio, from religo, to bind anew; re and ligo, to bind. This word seems originally to have signified an oath or vow to the gods, or the obligation of such an oath or vow, which was held very sacred by the Romans.]

1. Religion, in its most comprehensive sense, includes a belief in the being and perfections of God, in the revelation of his will to man, in man's obligation to obey his commands, in a state of reward and punishment, and in man's accountableness to God; and also true godliness or piety of life, with the practice of all moral duties. It therefore comprehends theology, as a system of doctrines or principles, as well as practical piety; for the practice of moral duties without a belief in a divine lawgiver, and without reference to his will or commands, is not religion.
2. Religion, as distinct from theology, is godliness or real piety in practice, consisting in the performance of all known duties to God and our fellow men, in obedience to divine command, or from love to God and his law. – James i. Religion will attend you … as a pleasant and useful companion, in every proper place and every temperate occupation of life. – Buckminster.
3. Religion, as distinct from virtue, or morality, consists in the performance of the duties we owe directly to God, from a principle of obedience to his will. Hence we often speak of religion and virtue, as different branches of one system, or the duties of the first and second tables of the law. Let us with caution indulge the supposition, that morality can be maintained without religion. – Washington.
4. Any system of faith and worship. In this sense, religion comprehends the belief and worship of pagans and Mohammedans, as well as of Christians; any religion consisting in the belief of a superior power or powers governing the world, and in the worship of such power or powers. Thus we speak of the religion of the Turks, of the Hindoos, of the Indians, &c. as well as of the Christian religion. We speak of false religion, as well as of true religion.
5. The rites of religion; in the plural. – Milton.

RE-LIG'ION-A-RY, a.

Relating to religion; pious. [Not used.] – Bp. Barlow.

RE-LIG'ION-ISM, n.

The practice of religion; adherence to religion. – Stewart.

RE-LIG'ION-IST, n.

A bigot to any religious persuasion. – Swift.

RE-LIG'IOUS, a. [Fr. religieux; L. religiosus.]

1. Pertaining or relating to religion; as, a religious society; a religious sect; a religious place; religious subjects.
2. Pious; godly; loving and reverencing the Supreme Being and obeying his precepts; as, a religious man.
3. Devoted to the practice of religion; as, a religious life.
4. Teaching religion; containing religious subjects or the doctrines and precepts of religion, or the discussion of topics of religion; as, a religious book.
5. Exact; strict; such as religion requires; as, a religious observance of vows or promises.
6. Engaged by vows to a monastic life; as, a religious order or fraternity.
7. Appropriated to the performance of sacred or religious duties; as, a religious house. – Law.

RE-LIG'IOUS, n.

A 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.

RE-LIG'IOUS-LY, adv.

1. Piously; with love and reverence to the Supreme Being; in obedience to the divine commands. – Drayton.
2. According to the rites of religion. – Shak.
3. Reverently; with veneration. – Duppa.
4. Exactly; strictly; conscientiously; as, a vow or promise religiously observed.

RE-LIG'IOUS-NESS, n.

The quality or state of being religious.

RE-LIN'QUENT, a.

Relinquishing. As a noun, one who relinquishes.