relic Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun an antiquity that has survived from the distant past
  2. noun something of sentimental value
    token; souvenir; keepsake.

WordNet

Rel"ic noun
Etymology
F. relique, from L. reliquiae, pl., akin to relinquere to leave behind. See Relinquish.
Definitions
  1. That which remains; that which is left after loss or decay; a remaining portion; a remnant. Chaucer. Wyclif.
    The relics of lost innocence. Kebe.
    The fragments, scraps, the bits and greasy relics. Shak.
  2. The body from which the soul has departed; a corpse; especially, the body, or some part of the body, of a deceased saint or martyr; -- usually in the plural when referring to the whole body.
    There are very few treasuries of relics in Italy that have not a tooth or a bone of this saint. Addison.
    Thy relics, Rowe, to this fair urn we trust, And sacred place by Dryden's awful dust. Pope.
  3. Hence, a memorial; anything preserved in remembrance; as, relics of youthful days or friendships.
    The pearis were split; Some lost, some stolen, some as relics kept. Tennyson.

Webster 1913